The Clinton-Obama nuclear deal is an open invitation for more Iranian aggression which we are once again seeing with these ballistic missile tests.
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Biden spoke after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who forcefully opposed the nuclear accord with Iran.
“This demonstrates once again why we need to address Iran’s destabilising activities across the region, while vigorously enforcing the nuclear deal”, Clinton said in a statement.
Speaking in Jerusalem on Wednesday, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden assured Israel that if Iran broke the terms of the nuclear deal, “we will act”.
The firing of the Qadr H missiles comes after a U.S. State Department spokesman on Tuesday criticized another missile launch, saying Washington planned to bring it before the United Nations Security Council.
Ballistic missile tests have been seen as a way for Iran’s military to demonstrate that the nuclear deal will have no impact on its plans, which it says are for domestic defence only.
The missiles, capable of reaching Iran’s archenemy Israel, were marked with a statement in Hebrew reading “Israel must be wiped off the Earth”, Iran’s semiofficial Fars News Agency reported.
Iran has conducted a number of other ballistic missile tests this week. “This is one such response by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps”.
Israel’s foreign ministry declined to immediately comment.
The US basically said that while these tests themselves didn’t violate the #IranDeal, they likely could violate the US sanctions imposed a few months ago. “Iran will not turn into Yemen, Iraq or Syria”, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh told state TV on late Wednesday.
Iran on Wednesday reportedly test-fired two ballistic missiles inscribed with the wording “Israel must be wiped out”.
“The 1,240-mile range of our missiles is to confront the Zionist regime”, Hajizadeh said.
Royce slammed the the administration for “tripping over technicalities”, and said not acting could show Iran it could violate the nuclear deal, too.
Tehran says its missile program is for defensive purposes.
The U.S implemented sanctions against 11 people and companies involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program on January 17.
The fresh missile tests follow February 26 elections in which hard-liners were dealt an embarrassing blow by moderates, who made gains in the parliament and the Assembly of Experts that could choose Iran’s next supreme leader.
United Nations resolution 2231, adopted past year, “calls upon Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles created to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology”.
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Washington imposed sanctions against businesses and individuals in January over another missile test in October 2015. In return, Iran agreed to lengthy curbs on its nuclear program, which many believe aims at building a nuclear bomb.
