Parliament Resolution: Government Obligated to Increase Missile Capability

The Iranian parliament, while reviewing the sixth development plan, approved proposals that, if confirmed by the Guardian Council, will obligate the government to allocate at least five percent of the 'public budget' to the country's defense budget each year and to take action regarding the 'development and increase of missile production capability.' In the open session on Tuesday, January 20, sections from the political, defense, and security parts of the sixth development plan were approved, which must also be confirmed by the Guardian Council. According to this resolution, the government is required to take action on 'developing and increasing missile production capability,' 'developing and strengthening air defense capabilities,' 'developing and enhancing electronic warfare and cyber defense capabilities,' and 'developing and updating drone production capabilities and arming them.' 'Modernizing military aircraft,' 'developing the naval fleet,' 'strengthening the quantity and quality of the Basij,' and 'developing and strengthening combat units and rapid reaction brigades of the armed forces' are among other actions that the government is obligated to implement. This resolution has been passed in parliament despite Iran's missile programs having drawn protests from Western countries and international organizations in recent years. Resolution 2231 of the Security Council, while confirming the JCPOA, asked Iran to 'refrain from any activities related to ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads for eight years from the first day of the implementation of the JCPOA, including the use of technology related to these missiles.' However, this resolution has not prohibited Iran's missile tests and has not considered punitive measures. Meanwhile, Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, previously requested that the Security Council ask Iran to refrain from its ballistic missile tests, as he believes such tests have the potential to increase tensions in the region. Iran, however, claims that its missile tests do not violate Resolution 2231 of the Security Council or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Some officials of the Islamic Republic, including Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council, have stated that the purpose of Iran's missile program is 'deterrence' and have said that 'the greater the range of our missiles, the less likely war becomes.' However, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Aerospace Force of the Revolutionary Guard, stated on Tuesday, October 6, that the Islamic Republic's goal in producing missiles is to target Israel, and therefore there is no need for missiles with ranges exceeding 2,000 kilometers. During their session on Tuesday, parliament members also obligated the government to allocate 'at least five percent of public budget resources, excluding the transfer of financial assets, revenue from the expenses of agencies, and dedicated revenues' each year for 'strengthening defense capabilities.' According to reports, Iran's military budget in 2016 was over 34 trillion tomans, and in the proposed budget for 2017, the budget for some institutions, such as the General Staff of the Revolutionary Guard, increased by over 60 percent. The military budget overall has increased by about 30 percent, reaching approximately 45 trillion tomans. Members of the ninth and tenth parliaments have passed resolutions to increase Iran's military budget following the Vienna nuclear agreement. Some parliament members have stated that Iran's military budget is lower compared to neighboring countries and should be increased. According to the International Institute for Peace Research, Saudi Arabia, with an expenditure of over 87 billion dollars, which is double its military budget in 2006, had the highest military expenditure in 2015 after the United States and China.