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Iranian Missiles Production Not Limited to Syria

Sheikh al-Islam did not specify which countries are producing missiles, but hinted that Iraq is among those countries, stressing Khomeini’s slogan, “The road to Jerusalem passes through Karbala.” Sheikh al-Islam served as Iran’s ambassador to Syria be-tween 1998 and 2003, before becoming advisor on Arab affairs, and later on advisor to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.  Iran deployed a number of missiles at several areas so that Israel won’t consider attacking Iran, according to Sheikh al-Islam. 

Recently, an agency belonging to the Revolutionary Guard confirmed that Houthis used Iranian-made missiles, during a time when Iran’s foreign minister denied that Tehran armed Houthis.  The Secretary General of the “Hezbollah” troops confirmed that they obtained weapons, including missiles, directly from Iran.

“Manufacturing and producing Iranian missiles is not limited to Syria. It includes areas surrounding Israel,” Sheikh al-Islam said and added that  Iran has disseminated the technology of missile production in the region, referring to south of Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, and linked transporting missile production outside Iran to the difficulty in moving equipment and spare parts for missiles produced in neighboring countries.

Iran’s armed Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri said last Thursday, that the mas-termind of the Iranian missile program, Hassan Tehrani, has managed to establish a factory for the production of Iranian missiles in Aleppo.  According to Bagheri, e “Hez-bollah” used some missiles produced in Aleppo during July war in 2006. Bagheri was killed in the bombing of missiles factory in the suburb of Tehran in November 2011.

General Hassan Firouzabadi, former chief of staff, revealed that Iranian armed forces have experimented with the ballistic missile, “Imad”, according to the orders of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Firouzabadi told Tasnim news agency that no missiles are tested without the prior approval of the General Commander of the Armed Forces, who is Ali Khamenei, according to Iran’s constitution.  After ballistic missiles are pro-duced, Firouzabadi explained, permission is required from Khamenei to experiment and do maneuvers, and Khamenei decides when to do so.

The White House threatened Tehran with economic sanctions after its second missile maneuver in November 2015, but the sanctions were  delayed due to disapproval by Republicans.

In response to the White House, Iranian President Hassan Rohani ordered the de-fense minister to “to enhance the missile defense program” and increase the produc-tion of rockets.  Last July, the United Nations Secretary-General called Iran’s tests“inconsistent” with the spirit of the nuclear deal, but he refrained from going so far as to say these experiments represent a breach of Security Council resolution 2231.

Following the nuclear deal, Resolution 2231 was issued by the Security Council.  It stated that sanctions would be lifted in exchange for Iran accepting to halt uranium en-richment. 

In Iran, the ballistic missile “Imad” angered the supporters of the nuclear deal, saying the missile tests is an attempt to derail the nuclear deal.   Meanwhile, Revolutionary Guards commanders continue to disregard Resolution “2231”.

On Sunday, 13 November, Al Arabiya also reported that the advisor to the Iranian for-eign affairs minister, Hussein Sheikh al-Islam, said Iranian missiles are not only manu-factured in Syria but in other countries in the region as well, adding thatIran expanded its missiles’ production outside its borders due to the “increasing Israeli threats in the region.”

Without revealing much about the production of the missiles, he said Iraq is one of the countries where they are are produced.

These statements were made just two days after the Iranian chief of staff stated that manufacturing ballistic missiles has been carried out in Aleppo during the past few years. 

Although an agency affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards recently acknowledged that Houthi militias have used Iranian missiles, Mohammed Javad Zarif, the  Iranian Foreign Minister, has denied these statements.

In the meantime, the Iranian Opposition outside Iran called on the UN Security Council to impose strict sanctions on Mahan Air and confirmed that it is owned by the Revolu-tionary Guards.  The opposition said that the airliner transfers weapons, equipment and Revolutionary Guards’ members to Syria. in what it calls “a flagrant violation of the UN Security Council resolutions.”

 

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