Hassan Rouhani Calls for Increased Production of Various Missiles with Greater Speed and Seriousness

Hours after reports emerged about the possibility of new sanctions against Iran's missile program, Hassan Rouhani, the President, wrote a letter to Hossein Dehghan, the Minister of Defense, stating that "the program for producing various missiles needed by the armed forces should continue with greater speed and seriousness." In this letter, published by the ISNA news agency on Thursday, January 10, he mentioned that the U.S. government apparently intends to add new individuals and institutions to the list of "previous unjust sanctions" as part of its "hostile and unlawful interventionist policies" regarding Iran's defense program. He emphasized that Iran's "defensive capabilities" are "solely for safeguarding the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of the country and combating the evil phenomenon of terrorism." The American newspaper "The Wall Street Journal" and Reuters reported on Thursday that the U.S. is preparing a list for new sanctions against individuals and companies in Iran, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates due to their "role" in the "development of Iran's ballistic missile program." While the Wall Street Journal states that 10 companies and individuals are expected to be included in the new U.S. sanctions list, Reuters mentions this number as 12. The potential new U.S. sanctions are a reaction to the Emad missile test in October and another missile test on November 30, which Washington and the UN sanctions committee claim violate Security Council Resolution 1929. According to this resolution, passed in 2010, Iran is prohibited from conducting tests related to ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The UN Security Council's Resolution 2231, adopted in July this year, also confirmed the Vienna agreement and requested Iran to "avoid any activities related to ballistic missiles capable of carrying weapons for eight years after the first day of the implementation of the JCPOA, including the use of technology related to these missiles." However, Hassan Rouhani stated in his letter to the Minister of Defense that "nuclear weapons have no place in Iran's defense doctrine, and therefore the development and production of Iran's ballistic missiles have never been designed for the capability to carry nuclear warheads." He emphasized that "if such erroneous and interventionist actions by the U.S. are repeated, the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics is obligated to plan anew for the expansion of the country's missile capabilities using all available resources." Iranian and American officials state that Iran's missile program is not part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreed upon in Vienna on July 14 this year. However, the agreement mentions that sanctions on Iran's missile program will continue for eight years. The U.S. government has not officially commented on the imposition of new sanctions against Iran, but CNN reported on Thursday, citing a "senior American source," that Washington is considering options related to Iran's missile program. The unnamed source stated, "We will consider various aspects related to taking additional actions, along with diplomatic efforts that ensure our national security interests." This American official clarified that "as in the past, we will keep Congress informed about the events related to Iran's sanctions and continue our efforts on remaining issues." The President of Iran stated that Tehran has declared during nuclear negotiations that "it has never negotiated with anyone regarding the legitimate defensive power of the country, including its missile program, and emphasizing its right to legitimate defense, it will not accept any limitations in this area." ISNA reported that the Minister of Defense of Iran responded to Hassan Rouhani's letter by stating that "the development of the country's missile capabilities will continue vigorously." Hossein Dehghan added, "In light of the recent hostile actions of the U.S. and the emphasis of the esteemed President, we will increase the speed and scope of our missile capabilities." Masoud Jazayeri, spokesman for the Iranian armed forces, also told Fars news agency that "we have not neglected to enhance our defensive and missile capabilities for even a single day." He emphasized that "defensive capacities, especially missile capabilities, are among the red lines of the Islamic Republic of Iran." The recent turmoil has arisen two weeks after the U.S. Congress passed a bill to impose visa restrictions on individuals traveling to four countries, including Iran. Iranian officials claim that the congressional bill violates the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which is expected to be implemented from January, and according to which, following the verification of Iran's actions in reducing its nuclear activities, international sanctions against Tehran will be lifted.