Iran Mocks Obama Again, Test-Fires 2 More Ballistic Missiles

Following numerous violations of last summer's landmark comprehensive nuclear agreement, as Iran repeatedly test fired ballistic missile rockets in direct contravention of the treaty terms, a curious tangent emerged last week when a senior Iranian military commander claimed that U.S. officials had been "appeasing" the Iranian regime, and quietly encouraging the Islamic Republic to keep its illicit ballistic missile tests a secret so as not to raise concerns in the region, according to Persian language comments.

As the Free Beacon reported, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace and Missile Force, said in recent remarks that the Obama administration does not want Iran to publicize its ongoing missile tests, which have raised questions about the Islamic Republic’s commitment to last summer’s comprehensive nuclear agreement.

“At this time, the Americans are telling [us]: ‘Don’t talk about missile affairs, and if you conduct a test or maneuver, don’t mention it,’” Hajizadeh was quoted as saying during a recent Persian-language speech that was translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute.

“If we agree to this, they will advance another step, and say: ‘Don’t conduct [a missile test] at this time, and also don’t do it in the Persian Gulf region.’ After that, they will tell us: ‘Why do you need your missiles to have a range of 2,000 km anyway?’ Hajizadeh reportedly said.

In other words, far from giving the US a right of first refusal on Iranian military activity, the Obama administration had effectively lost all control over what the National Guard would do, and its only recourse was to hope Iran keeps quiet.

That plan, however, appears be a spectacular failure as overnight the Mehr news agencyannounced reported that the Iranian military has successfully carried out launches of two short-range ballistic missiles during ground forces exercises, local media reported Sundayl it added that the improved versions of Nazeat and Fajr-5 missiles were used during the first stage of the two-day drills in Kashan’s Maranjab Desert and Isfahan’s Nasrabad region.

Mehr adds that the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces have successfully test-fired Naze’at rockets in Beit-ul-Muqaddas 28 drill on Suanday.
Launched in central Iran on Sunday, the Beit-ul-Muqaddas 28 war game started with successful test-fire of N-6 and N-10 Naze’at and Fajr 5 rockets. Army’s long-ranged artillery also hit the predetermined targets successfully during the operation.

"The message of Beit-ul-Muqaddas 28 military drill is peace and friendship in the region; Iranian Army is getting ready to confront extra-regional threats and the aim of the maneuver is to improve the defense capabilities and exercise the tactics practiced at military courses during proxy and asymmetric wars," said Iranian Army’s Ground Forces Commander Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan before the drill opening on Sunday.

He added that "the Beit-ol-Moqaddas-28 military drills aimed at enhancing defensive capabilities, training techniques in asymmetric war and test-firing improved weapons of the Iranian Army."

As Sputnik reminds us, Iran's target of boosting its national defense program has sparked concerns among the international community, despite reassurances from Tehran that it would never threaten the national security of another state.

On July 14, Iran and the P5+1 group of countries comprising Russia, the United States, China, France and the United Kingdom plus Germany, signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which guarantees the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. 

Following the adoption of the JCPOA, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2231, which prohibits Iran from engaging in activities related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

Which, incidentally, is precisely why Iran keeps parading with national media reports of doing just that in its ongoing attempts to mock the Obama administration as one which no longer has any leverage over what Iran does, something Trump, who has repeatedly said he would immediately cancel the deal if he is elected president, will use to his full advantage in the coming months.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-05-22/iran-mocks-obama-again-test-fires-2-more-ballistic-missiles