Iran to Conduct a Missile Exercise by the End of the Year

The commander of the Ground Forces of the Islamic Republic Army stated that Iran will hold six specialized exercises, including a missile exercise, by the end of the year 1394 (2015). Brigadier General Ahmadreza Pourdastan, on Thursday, August 13, responded to reporters' questions regarding requests from several members of parliament for a missile exercise, stating that such an exercise will be conducted 'according to the schedule of the General Staff of the Armed Forces by the end of the year.' His remarks were reported by the Fars news agency. During the nuclear negotiations between Iran and six world powers, the prohibitions and restrictions related to weapons and ballistic missiles were among the most complex issues in reaching an agreement, and ultimately, according to the agreement document, Iran's arms prohibitions will remain for up to five years, and its missile restrictions will last for up to eight years. The agreement reached between Iran and the world powers was confirmed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which also called on Iran not to engage in activities related to ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. This issue sparked protests among critics of the nuclear agreement, and on August 10, 31 members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly issued a written notice to the President of Iran, calling for 'not accepting restrictions on ballistic missiles in the new UN Security Council resolution.' These representatives also urged Hassan Rouhani to support the missile exercises of Iran's armed forces. Additionally, 23 members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly on August 5 supported a statement from a group of clerics from Qom seminary, calling for the resumption of Iran's missile tests. In response to this request, on Wednesday, Hassan Firouzabadi, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, emphasized that the Islamic Republic's missile tests 'will be conducted according to the decrees of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces at the appropriate time.' Iran claims that medium-range missile tests do not violate its nuclear agreement with six world powers and could ultimately violate Resolution 2231, which is not a binding resolution. The United States has also recently stated through its Secretary of State that violations of UN arms and missile prohibitions by Iran will not automatically mean the return of sanctions against Iran, although the United States and its allies will have other options available in such circumstances. Among the six exercises mentioned by the commander of the Ground Forces, one exercise is scheduled to take place in October in western Iran, although Brigadier General Pourdastan did not provide further details regarding this exercise. This senior military commander also mentioned that the Ground Forces will conduct another exercise in November and December in eastern Iran. However, he noted that 'there is no threat in the eastern part of the country, and our capability is such that it can suppress any threat in its infancy.'