DM Raps Kerry’s Remarks, Fallacious Analysis on Iran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan deplored Washington’s interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and recommended the US secretary of state to think again before talking "nonsense" about Iran’s military and defense issues.
Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Saturday, Dehqan reacted angrily to the comments by John Kerry about Tehran’s missile program, saying the top US diplomat had better think for a couple of minutes to avoid such absurd remarks and erroneous analyses.
On Thursday, Kerry said Washington was open to a “new arrangement” with Iran for peacefully resolving disputes such as Tehran’s ballistic missile tests.
He also said that the US would continue to lift the economic sanctions against Iran that it had agreed to as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), even while imposing new ones to counter Tehran’s missile tests.
Elsewhere in his comments, the Iranian defense minister said if Washington is sincere in its apparent support for stability and welfare in the world, it ought to end its military presence in different regions, stop interfering in the internal affairs of others and stop backing extremist currents.
Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will be never subject to negotiations.
In late March, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei underscored the need for boosting Iran’s defense capabilities, warning that enemies are making use of every tool available to undermine the Islamic Republic.
Ayatollah Khamenei said at the time that if the Islamic establishment seeks technology and negotiations but lacks defense might, it will have to buckle in the face of any weak country posing threats.
In March, the IRGC test-fired two types of Qadr ballistic missiles during the large-scale drills, codenamed “Might of Velayat”.
The two ballistic missiles, Qadr-H and Qadr-F, were launched from the heights of East Alborz Mountains, north of Iran, and hit targets on the Makran coasts, southeast of the country.
Washington claims that Iran’s missile tests violate the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorsed a nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reached between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) on July 14, 2015.
Iran, however, insists that the missile launches were not against the Security Council resolution.
