Boroujerdi: Missile Policies Will Not Change

Following the statements made by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic on Wednesday, Iran's Foreign Minister emphasized that the Islamic Republic's missile tests are not in contradiction with the Vienna nuclear agreement and UN Security Council resolutions. The Chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament also stated that Iran's missile policies 'will never change.' According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, Aladdin Boroujerdi, the Chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament, said on Friday, April 1, that the representatives believe the missile program of the armed forces is 'tied to the national security of the Islamic Republic.' He emphasized that the Parliament will use 'all its capacity' to approve the budget for the development of the Islamic Republic's missile program. Mr. Boroujerdi also condemned the statements of officials from the United States, Britain, France, and Germany regarding Iran's recent missile tests, adding: 'We advise these countries not to waste their efforts, as Iran's missile policies will never change.' The emphasis by Islamic Republic officials on the development of Iran's armed forces' missile programs has intensified following the remarks made by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday. Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, defended Iran's missile program on Wednesday and accused critics of this program within the country of 'treason.' A week before these statements, a tweet attributed to Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the head of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran, emphasized that 'the world of tomorrow is the world of dialogues, not missiles...' Following the Supreme Leader's remarks, sources close to Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani denied this statement, calling it 'incomplete' and 'abridged,' claiming it was published without Mr. Hashemi's knowledge. In the wake of Ayatollah Khamenei's statements, several Islamic Republic officials, including Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran, Hossein Dehghan, Minister of Defense, and several military officials emphasized the development of Iran's missile program. Meanwhile, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, reiterated on Wednesday through previous tweets that neither the Vienna nuclear agreement nor the UN Security Council resolution prohibits Iran from working on missiles not designed to carry nuclear warheads. He added: 'Read the texts; the English is simple, not the technical legal texts.' Mr. Zarif also wrote that if Iran had missiles during the war with Iraq, it could have deterred Saddam Hussein from launching missile attacks on Iranian cities or at least reduced his indiscriminate attacks on civilians. Iran's recent missile tests have faced strong reactions from the United States and European powers. The U.S., along with France, Britain, and Germany, described these tests as a disregard for the UN Security Council resolution and called for the Security Council to address it. According to these countries, Iran's test missiles have the capability to carry nuclear warheads and are therefore inconsistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2231. However, according to interpretations by some UN Security Council diplomats, the likelihood of punishing Iran for its missile tests is weak, as the text of Resolution 2231 regarding Iran is ambiguous and closes the door on the possibility of imposing sanctions, allowing for alternative interpretations. The UN Security Council, in July of last year, issued Resolution 2231, which confirmed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and six world powers, calling on Iran to 'avoid any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads for eight years from the first day of the JCPOA's implementation, including the use of technology related to these missiles.' Meanwhile, Islamic Republic officials claim that Iran's ballistic missiles have a defensive nature and do not have the capability to carry nuclear warheads; therefore, their test launches do not violate the aforementioned resolution.