Rouhani: We Stand with the Army and the IRGC to Acquire Any Weapons Needed for Defense

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, in his speech on Wednesday, April 29, emphasized that his government is alongside the army and the IRGC in helping to procure any weapons they need for defense, while also sending a message of 'good neighborliness.' The official news agency of the Islamic Republic, IRNA, quoted Rouhani warning that 'we will produce and procure any weapons we need' and that they are not waiting for 'the approval and positive opinion of the world.' He stated: 'I clearly say that the government, intellectuals, industrialists, and knowledge-based companies are fully alongside the Islamic Republic of Iran's army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to produce and procure any weapons needed for the defense of the country.' The production and testing of long-range missiles by Iran has long caused concern among regional countries, including Israel and the Gulf Arabs, and the U.S. government has criticized the nuclear agreement and Iran's role in the region more from this aspect. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, began serious criticism of the JCPOA before the start of his election campaign in 2016 and has continued to insist on his criticisms. In continuation of these criticisms, Trump set a deadline two months ago for addressing the 'deficiencies' he identified in the JCPOA and threatened that without addressing them, he would not extend the lifting of sanctions on Iran and would withdraw from the nuclear agreement. This deadline ends on May 12, 2018. Islamic Republic officials have consistently stated that Iran's produced missiles have only a 'defensive role.' Rouhani's remarks were once again directed at Iran's neighbors, emphasizing: 'We seek cordial and fraternal relations with our neighbors and tell them that our weapons, equipment, missiles, airplanes, and tanks are never against you and are for deterrence.' Rouhani also stressed that the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic is based on 'good neighborliness and good relations.' He said: 'At the same time, we tell the regional countries that the basis of our policy towards them is good neighborliness. We want to be a good neighbor for the countries of the region.' This statement appears to be directed at Iran's Arab neighbors who have consistently criticized Tehran's interference in their internal affairs. Among them, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, led by Saudi Arabia, have repeatedly accused Tehran of directly or indirectly intervening in their affairs or violating their territory. Riyadh considers the Houthi Shiites of Yemen to be such a group and has threatened Iran with retaliation at least twice in the past month in response to Houthi missile attacks on its territory. Rouhani also noted that this is why we need 'powerful and deterrent forces' as 'we are in a sensitive region, the sensitive region of West Asia and the Middle East, which has witnessed various conspiracies over the past 40 years.' According to Rouhani, 'in this sensitive region... aggressive powers... have illegal and illegitimate presence and interfere in regional affairs contrary to international law and arbitrarily invade countries without the permission of the United Nations and international imperative rules.' The Iranian President's remarks seem to refer to the recent U.S. attack alongside Britain and France on Syrian chemical weapons facilities in response to a deadly chemical attack in Douma near Damascus. Syria and Russia, the major supporter of Assad's government, have denied that this chemical attack was carried out by Syrian government forces, with Russia going so far as to call it a 'setup.' Meanwhile, Western countries and several international organizations speak of evidence and indications of Assad's involvement in this chemical attack in Douma. Rouhani believes that 'the fundamental solution for the region and the world is only political negotiation to solve problems and peaceful behavior.' The Islamic Republic is accused of supplying weapons to the Houthis in Yemen by violating international sanctions and has repeatedly stated that it finances and arms Hezbollah in Lebanon. Several countries, including the United States, consider Hezbollah a 'terrorist' group.