U.S. Official: Iran's Missile Program is the Main Factor of Regional Instability; Iran's Response

A senior U.S. official described Iran's missile program and the supply of Iranian rockets to Tehran's regional allies in Lebanon and Yemen as a "threat" and a factor for increasing the arms race in the region. She urged responsible countries to block Iran's continuation of its missile program by stopping the transfer of missile technology to Iran. In response, Iran described the U.S. position and the remarks of the senior official as "ridiculous" and a factor for increasing violence in the region. According to Reuters, Yelim Poblete, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, stated on Tuesday at the UN Disarmament Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, that Iran's missile program is one of the most important reasons for destabilizing the Middle East and a key factor in escalating violence. Ms. Poblete also requested an "immediate halt" to Tehran's missile program, stating that Iran might use nuclear, biological, and chemical warheads for its missiles. This U.S. diplomat called on other countries to stop transferring missile technology to Iran and to adhere to UN Security Council resolutions that limit the transfer of this knowledge to Iran. According to Ms. Poblete, Iran has provided missiles and drones to the Houthis in Yemen, which have attacked Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This assistant to Mike Pompeo emphasized that the U.S. is serious about countering the proliferation of ballistic missiles in the region and will decisively act against Iran's weapons proliferation activities. Reuters quoted an Iranian diplomat present at the European UN headquarters as calling Ms. Poblete's remarks "ridiculous, baseless, erroneous, irrelevant, and delusional." The unnamed Iranian diplomat added that the U.S. official's comments disrupted the UN disarmament conference and that Iran had previously stated that the behavior and "illogical statements" of U.S. representatives increase the risk of violence. Two weeks ago, Ismail Baqaei, Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the UN office in Geneva, had a severe verbal altercation with Robert Wood, the U.S. ambassador at the disarmament conference. Iran insists that due to longstanding sanctions, it lacks access to advanced fighter jets for self-defense, and its missile capabilities are its most important defensive tool. After Iran fired missiles with the slogan of destroying Israel written on them shortly after reaching a nuclear agreement with the U.S. and world powers, the U.S. and some European powers have shown increased sensitivity to Iran's missile program. Last month, the European Union expressed "concern" over Iran's missile activities, especially long-range missiles, and requested a halt to these activities. The U.S. withdrew from the JCPOA this spring and emphasized in its twelve conditions for new negotiations for a new agreement that Iran must abandon its missile program as it contradicts UN Security Council Resolution 2231. However, Iran claims that Resolution 2231 does not prohibit its missile capabilities and is not willing to engage in further dialogue with the U.S. and the West over its missile program or a new nuclear agreement. Hezbollah confirms that the missiles of this Lebanese Shiite organization allied with Iran are supplied by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the UN, has repeatedly shown parts of Iranian missiles as evidence of U.S. claims regarding the transfer of Iranian missiles to the Houthis in Yemen. However, the Houthis and Iran argue that Yemen is under complete siege, questioning how Iranian missiles could reach the Yemenis under such conditions, and state that the missiles and drones used by the Ansar Allah fighters in the Yemen conflict are optimized missiles from the Yemeni army during the presidency of Ali Abdullah Saleh. Before Ali Abdullah Saleh was killed 15 months ago, his supporting forces and the Ansar Allah fighters fought together against the Saudi coalition forces in Yemen. Last month, during the ceremonies marking the fortieth anniversary of the revolution, Iran displayed several of its missiles, including types "Qiam," "Qadr," and "Zolfaqar," during the marches, which received significant attention from global media.