Missile threats, sanctions aimed at undermining Iran’s deterrence power: DM

Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami says enemy threats and sanctions against the Iranian missile program are aimed at undermining the country’s deterrence power.

“Threats and sanctions against [Iran’s] missile power have a completely political objective, which is to weaken the country’s deterrence power,” Hatami said on Tuesday in an address to a national defense conference.

“We will not allow anybody to weaken the country’s defense prowess through legal means,” he added.

The newly-appointed defense minister said all of the defense measures of Iran are in accordance with international law and regulations of the Islamic Republic “but the global arrogance seeks to weaken our country’s deterrence power through fabricated interpretations.”

He urged Iranian law experts to closely examine such threats and sanctions and adopt proportionate approaches based on international law to counter them.

Hatami also hailed the strong sense of unity and coherence among the Iranian nation and officials despite the enemy plots, saying it would increase the Islamic Republic’s deterrence power.

The Iranian defense minister said on August 20 that the missile program of the Islamic Republic would push ahead relentlessly, vowing to continue activities of the country’s defense industry.

“[Iran’s] missile program will proceed according to the approved plans,” Hatami told reporters.

In response to a question about some foreign countries’ pressure on Iran to stop its missile program, he added that such activities “would not be affected by any type of pressure.”

Washington has on several occasions slapped new sanctions against Iran over its missile program, most recent of which was on July 28.

The United States claims that Iran’s missile tests and rocket launches violate UN Resolution 2231, which was adopted in July 2015 to endorse the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.

Resolution 2231 calls on Iran “not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology.”

Iran has strongly rejected the US allegations that it has violated UN resolution. Tehran insists its missile tests and rocket launches are solely for defense purposes and not designed to carry nuclear warheads.