Criticism of America Again: 'The JCPOA is an Example of American Betrayal'

Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, criticized the United States again, describing the nuclear agreement as an example of the country's betrayal and responding to criticisms regarding Iran's missile tests. He predicted that 'the U.S. and its allies' would say today that Iran should not have missiles, and tomorrow they would ask why Iran should be present in Syria. According to a report on Friday, July 9, by Mehr News Agency, Hajizadeh, in a speech in Shahriar, referred to the fact that 'the predictions of the Supreme Leader' have proven to be correct and that one cannot be 'optimistic about the U.S. and its allies.' He added, 'As His Eminence said, their problem with us is not nuclear; after the nuclear issue, they will turn to missiles and then to human rights issues and support for resistance groups.' The commander of the Aerospace Force stated, 'Today, one year after the nuclear agreement, this is exactly what has happened.' Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has repeatedly emphasized that if Iran's nuclear issues are resolved with global powers, they will use issues such as human rights violations by the Iranian government, support for groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, and missile programs to pressure the Islamic Republic. Khamenei stated on February 17, 2014, 'We have repeatedly said that the nuclear issue is a pretext for enmity; even if the nuclear issue were to be resolved according to the U.S. perspective, another issue would arise afterward; now observe that U.S. government spokespeople have raised issues of human rights, missile discussions, and weapons.' The Islamic Republic of Iran is also accused of widespread and systematic human rights violations by international NGOs, some governments, and the United Nations. Iran, along with North Korea, is one of the few countries in the world with an extensive program for building and testing ballistic missiles. Furthermore, the Islamic Republic does not recognize the state of Israel and speaks of its destruction. In another part of his speech, Hajizadeh stated that 'hoping for progress with the U.S. and Western assistance is nothing but an illusion' and added, 'There is a mindset in the country that if we want to resolve our problems, we must solve our issues with the U.S. and the West. Although they present this out of concern, we have no other judgment.' The commander of the Aerospace Force stated that 'this will not happen' and emphasized, 'Today they say do not have missiles, tomorrow they will ask why you should have advisory presence in Syria? Then why do you support Hezbollah?' In this context, the German domestic security agency reported on the 'expansion' of Iran's nuclear activities after the JCPOA, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a ban on the sale of Boeing aircraft to Iran, and an Iranian official stated that Ban Ki-moon should not address interpretations that contradict the JCPOA.