{"id":7914,"date":"2017-08-11T22:59:44","date_gmt":"2017-08-12T03:59:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/?p=7914"},"modified":"2017-08-11T22:59:44","modified_gmt":"2017-08-12T03:59:44","slug":"yes-watch-north-korea-but-dont-take-your-eyes-off-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/7914\/","title":{"rendered":"Yes, watch North Korea, but don\u2019t take your eyes off Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"by\u00a0Dr. Majid Rafizadeh 11 August 2017 :<\/span>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

North Korea is in the international news spotlight because of its mutual saber-rattling with Donald Trump, and the widely publicized test of a long-range ballistic missile. But it is critical to point out that these events are equally significant in relation to Iran and the threat it poses to peace and stability.Iran is North Korea\u2019s major partner in the sale, transfer and proliferation of ballistic missile technology.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s missiles are copies of North Korea\u2019s. Both countries flout international law, sponsor terrorism<\/p>\n

and employ military hardware such as ballistic missiles to threaten the security and interests of other nations.
\nTehran already has long-range ballistic missiles that can hit any country in the Middle East and US bases in the region. Iran\u2019s generals have frequently boasted about these capabilities and have test-fired missiles carrying provocative messages such as \u201cDeath to Israel.\u201d
\nBut Iran is not satisfied with what it has. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which oversees the program, is aggressively pursuing technology that could lead to the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile. North Korean engineers are in Iran helping the IRGC to advance its ballistic missile arsenal and develop nuclear warheads.
\nWith ICBMs, Iran would have the ability to strike anywhere in the world, and a major reason for acquiring them is as a delivery tool for nuclear weapons. In addition, an Iranian ICBM could easily fall into the hands of Tehran\u2019s militias and proxies across the region, a significant threat to peace and security.
\nIran recently launched another missile on the pretext of advancing its \u201cspace and satellite program.\u201d The launch received scant attention because the eyes off the world are on North Korea, but the US and three of its European allies nevertheless described the test as provocative and urged Iran to stop all its ballistic missile activity.
\nA joint statement by Britain, France, Germany and the US said Iran\u2019s ballistic missile program was inconsistent with a UN Security Council resolution and had a destabilizing effect in the region. \u201cWe call on Iran not to conduct any further ballistic missile launches and related activities \u2026 We condemn this action,\u201d the four countries said.
\nSupporters of Iran\u2019s clerical establishment and of the July 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Agreement (JCPOA) between six world powers and Iran, justify Tehran\u2019s ballistic missile program on the grounds that it is defensive and aimed at deterrence.<\/p>\n

While the world is transfixed by Pyongyang\u2019s duel with the US, another regime\u2019s missile program also threatens global security and stability.<\/p>\n

This argument has already been debunked, since Iran has used ballistic missiles offensively outside its borders. In the latest incident, a missile launch into Syria violated international law and the sovereignty of the Syrian state.
\nIran\u2019s so-called moderates and hard-liners both support advancing Tehran\u2019s ballistic missile program. President Hassan Rouhani has said Iran \u201cwill have a new ballistic missile test in the near future that will be a thorn in the eyes of our enemies.\u201d
\nIran\u2019s cheerleaders also try to persuade the world that in pursuing ballistic missile capabilities, Tehran is not violating any legal framework. This argument is misleading, unsophisticated and simplistic. Iran is not only in clear breach of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which prohibits ballistic missile activity until eight years after nuclear deal adoption day in October 2015, but is also violating the spirit of the nuclear deal itself.
\nThe Trump administration should lead a much more robust effort in response to Iran\u2019s aggressive ballistic missile proliferation. This could include condemnation, as well as economic and political sanctions on the Iranian government and non-US entities that deal with Tehran. Since regional countries and EU nations are on the same page as Washington with regard to Tehran\u2019s aggressive ballistic missile activities, the US should seek the assistance of the EU and regional powers.
\nA coalition of regional nations, such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), should also condemn, pressure, isolate or sanction Tehran economically and politically if needed. This can be more efficiently accomplished with a united front between the US and Arab nations.
\nInaction from the Trump administration, the international community and regional powers will be seen by Tehran as weakness and a continuation of Barack Obama\u2019s appeasement policies. Iran will be further emboldened, and will ratchet up its unlawful activities.
\nAn Iranian ICBM armed with a nuclear warhead would be one of the most serious threats to the stability of the region and the world.<\/p>\n

originally published in the \u00a0 .arabnews<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by\u00a0Dr. Majid Rafizadeh 11 August 2017 : North Korea is in the international news spotlight because of its mutual saber-rattling with Donald Trump, and the […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7915,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","category-nuclear"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7914"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7914\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7916,"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7914\/revisions\/7916"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}