The European demand to stave off the dangers of the Iranian missile program has seen no progress as Tehran continue to pressure for the financial mechanism to circumvent US sanctions. This comes amid controversy in Tehran over the consequences of late compliance with money laundering and terrorist financing standards as the international deadline approaches.
Meanwhile, Secretary-General of Iran's National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, said Iran would keep working to improve its missiles accuracy. He made his remarks a week after France announced it will impose sanctions unless there was progress in the current negotiations over Tehran’s missile program.
Shamkhani joined a list of military leaders who have taken a stand on the European reservation against Tehran's continued development of its missile program. However, he said his country does not have a problem in increasing the range of its missiles.
"Iran has no scientific or operational restriction for increasing the range of its military missiles, but based on its defensive doctrine, it is continuously working on increasing the precision of the missiles, and has no intention to increase their range," Reuters quoted Shamkhani.
The international pressure on Iran over its missile program comes amid growing Iranian missile activities, especially that Tehran is accused of sending mid-range missiles to Houthi militias.
Shamkhani’s reference to the range of Iran’s missiles can be seen as a gesture to appease to European countries objecting its program.
Iran currently has the Emad and Khorramshahr missiles, with a range of 2,000 kilometers, but recently focused on diversifying its arsenal of medium-range ballistic missiles.
In November 2017, deputy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Brig. Gen. Hossein Salami, warned that Iran would increase its range of missiles to more than 2,000 km if action was taken against its forces.
Then, in June 2018, IRGC commander Mohammad Ali Jafari said that Iran "does not intend to increase the range of its missiles."
However, IRGC Aerospace Force commander Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh announced in December that Iran is capable of extending the range of its ballistic missiles beyond its current 2,000 km limit, and has not done so until now only due to a lack of need.
He noted that many “enemy bases” were located 300-800 kilometers from the country’s borders.
Iran fired guided missiles at targets outside its borders last year on two occasions.
The first time showed footage of an Iranian drone aircraft targeting a site of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), opposed to Iran, at the beginning of September. In the second attempt, Iran fired rockets into the east of the Euphrates, in response to the bloody attack on the Ahvaz Military Parade.
UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which accompanied the announcement of the nuclear deal in 2015, called on Tehran not to “undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons” for up to eight years. However, Iran said this is not binding and denied that its missiles were capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Iran launched two satellite-guided missiles since the nuclear deal entered into effect in January 2016.
Washington has also told Tehran to stop developing satellite-launching technology, saying it was concerned that the same gear could also be used to launch warheads.
Shamkhani said Iran would keep working on the technology “to improve the quality of people’s lives and increase the country's technological prowess.”
Before that, Chief of Staff Major General, Mohammad Bagheri, said that Iran may switch from its defensive policy to “offensive” tactics.
Speaking to reporters, Bagheri said Iran has no intention of attacking any country, stressing that “our defense strategy is to protect the independence, territorial integrity and national interests of our country.”
“If there is any intention of attack against our interests, and we see evidence of it, we will not remain passive and allow the country’s security and peace to be endangered,” he said.
In May, US President Donald Trump withdrew from a nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sanctions, saying the deal did not address ballistic missiles.
"Negotiations over Iran's missile and defensive capabilities are not acceptable in any way," Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, a top adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was quoted as saying by the IRNA news agency.
Semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported Defense Minister Amir Hatami’s confirmation that Iran’s missile program in non-negotiable.
“The enemies say Iran’s missile power should be eliminated, but we have repeatedly said our missile capabilities are not negotiable.”
In the meantime, the debate in Iran over the government's bill to join Financial Action Task Force (FATF) continued. The government is awaiting the decision of the Expediency Council after the parliament passed two bills to join Palermo’s Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and Counter Terrorist Financing (CTF).
Sources said in recent days that committees tasked with studying the project refused to approve it.
Deputy Speaker Ali Motahri said that the Expediency Council is responsible for the consequences if Iran does not join the FATF.
Iran is expected to face sanctions from FATF if it does not comply to its conditions as the deadline expires in February.
