Iran: US Missile Sanctions Lack Moral and Legal Legitimacy

The Iranian Foreign Ministry described the new US sanctions against the Islamic Republic's missile program as "lacking legal and moral legitimacy," stating that the US is "selling tens of billions of dollars worth of advanced weapons to regional countries annually." In a statement released on Monday, January 18, it was noted that "Iran's missile program is in no way designed for the capability to carry nuclear weapons and therefore does not contradict any international norms." Tehran accused the US of "selling tens of billions of dollars worth of advanced weapons to regional countries," which, according to them, are "traditionally used in war crimes against Palestinian and Lebanese civilians and recently Yemenis." According to ISNA news agency, the Iranian Foreign Ministry also emphasized that it would respond to US sanctions by "more seriously pursuing its legal missile program and enhancing its defensive and national security capabilities." The US Treasury Department added 11 individuals and entities linked to Tehran's missile program to its sanctions list just hours after the implementation of the JCPOA and the lifting of international sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program. The new US sanctions were a reaction to the "Emad missile" test conducted by the Revolutionary Guards in October of this year, which drew condemnation from Washington, and Samantha Power, the US representative to the UN, stated that her country would respond to this action. The UN committee monitoring sanctions against Iran also deemed Iran's missile test a violation of Security Council resolutions. Hossein Jaberi Ansari, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, stated at a press conference on Monday that the US sanctions "are essentially an addition to previous sanctions against Iran, and the use of the term new sanctions lacks sufficient accuracy." Hardline media close to conservatives reacted to the US missile sanctions on Monday, implicitly considering them a sign of the failure of the "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" or JCPOA, which was concluded to resolve Iran's nuclear program between Tehran and six world powers. The newspaper "Vatan-e Emruz" highlighted this with the headline "Morning Congratulations, Afternoon Sanctions!" referring to President Hassan Rouhani's welcome of the JCPOA's implementation, accusing his government of being in "delusion." In an article by Mehdi Mohammadi, it was stated that the US missile sanctions are because Washington "is determined to tell Iran that its main strategy towards Iran has not changed." He claimed that "the Americans have a very clear plan for the revival of sanctions. Currently, there are over 11 different bills and proposals on the table in various sections of Congress, which I believe will be implemented within about a year to revive sanctions in new areas and with the aim of creating new polarizations in Iranian public opinion." The newspaper Kayhan also dedicated its prominent headline to this issue, without differentiating between the sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program that have been lifted and the Islamic Republic's missile sanctions, stating: "Sanctions have returned!" In this context, the US sanctioned 11 individuals and companies related to the missile program, the deputy commander of the IRGC stated: "The IRGC tunnels are filled with ready-to-launch missiles," and the IRGC unveiled its "second missile city." New "pressures" in the US for action against Iran followed the missile test.