Iran missile might impervious to sanctions, resolutions: Commander

A senior Iranian commander says the Islamic Republic will continue to augment its missile program even if it is targeted with fresh sanctions.

“Sanctions and resolutions will not create any obstacle to the strengthening of Iran’s defense might and missile capability,” Deputy Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri said on Friday.

He added that Iran’s missile program is not subject to the country’s nuclear agreement with six world powers, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reached on July 14, 2015.

On January 16, Iran and the P5+1 group of countries – the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China plus Germany – started to implement the JCPOA.

After the JCPOA went into effect, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union, the Security Council and the US were lifted. Iran, in return, has put some limitations on its nuclear activities.

Jazayeri further reiterated that Iran’s missile development program is “non-negotiable” and a “red line” for the Islamic Republic.

Therefore, the Iranian general added, adopting “hasty, emotional, deceitful positions” and spreading propaganda against the “show of force” by the Iranian Armed Forces, including the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), are devoid of any justification.

He said the Western governments, notably the US, are determined to impose fresh missile sanctions on Iran through their “unjust and groundless” interpretations of the JCPOA in a “sly bid” to “undermine and dismantle surface-to-surface ballistic missiles” of Iran.

Jazayeri urged the US and its Western and regional allies to accept realities and steer clear of adventurism.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) successfully test-fired two more ballistic missiles on Wednesday as part of military drills to assess their capabilities.

The missiles dubbed Qadr-H and Qadr-F were fired during large-scale drills, code-named Eqtedar-e-Velayat.

On Tuesday, Iran fired another ballistic missile called Qiam from silo-based launchers in different locations across the country.

Iran has repeatedly assured other countries that its military might poses no threat to other states, insisting that its defense doctrine is entirely based on deterrence.