Iran FM’s Advisor: Missiles outside Iran not Limited to Syria
A man looks at Iranian-made missiles at Holy Defence Museum in Tehran in this September 23, 2015 file photo. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA/Files
London – Two days after Iran’s chief of staff revealed that the production line of ballistic missiles shifted to Aleppo over the past years, Hussein Sheikh al-Islam – advisor to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif – said that missile production is not limited to Syria.
Sheikh al-Islam, stated that Iran’s missiles are manufactured at a number of countries in the region to prevent what he called “the Israeli threat”, according to Iran’s judiciary system news agency Mizan.
Sheikh al-Islam did not specify the countries where Iran is producing its missiles, but he hinted that Iraq is among those countries, stressing that Tehran is working according to Khomeini’s logo: “The road to Jerusalem passes through Karbala.”
Sheikh al-Islam said: “manufacturing and producing Iranian missiles is not limited to Syria. It includes areas surrounding Israel.”
He added that Iran has trained and disseminated the technology of missiles’ production in that region, in reference to south of Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
Sheikh al-Islam linked transporting missile production outside of Iran to difficulty to move equipment and spare parts for missiles produced in neighboring countries.
Last Thursday, Iran’s armed Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri said that the mastermind of the Iranian missile program Hassan Tehrani, managed the establishment of a factory for the production of Iranian missiles in Aleppo.
According to Bagheri, so-called Lebanese “Hezbollah” used some of those 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.
Sheikh al-Islam served as Iran’s ambassador to Syria between 1998 and 2003 before becoming advisor on Arab affairs to Speaker, and later on advisor to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
According to Sheikh al-Islam, Iran deployed a number of missiles at several areas so that Israel doesn’t consider attacking Iran.
Recently, an agency belonging to the Revolutionary Guard confirmed that Houthis used Iranian-made missiles, at a time Iran’s foreign minister insists that Tehran’s didn’t arm Houthis.
Earlier in June, Secretary General of the so-called Lebanese “Hezbollah” confirmed that his troops obtaining weapons, including missiles, and money directly from Iran.
Meanwhile, former chief of staff, General Hassan Firouzabadi revealed that the Iranian armed forces experimented with ballistic missile “Imad” of range 2,700 in October 2015, 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 which is occupied by Ali Khamenei, according to Iran’s constitution.
Firouzabadi explained that after ballistic missiles are produced, a permission is required from Khamenei to do experiments and maneuvers, adding that Khamenei decides the time to do so.
The White House has threatened Tehran with economic sanctions after its second missile maneuver in November 2015, but the administration delayed the implementation of the sanctions which was disapproved by Republicans.
In response to the White House, Iranian President Hassan Rohani ordered the defense minister to increase the production of rockets and take the required measures “to enhance the missile defense program”.
Last July, United Nations Secretary-General said that Iran’s tests are “inconsistent” with the spirit of the nuclear deal, but he refrained from confessing whether these experiments represent a breach of Security Council resolution 2231.
Resolution 2231 was issued by the Security Council following the nuclear deal which stated that sanctions would be lifted in exchange for Iran accepting to halt uranium enrichment.
In Iran, ballistic missile “Imad” angered the supporters of the nuclear deal, saying the missile tests is an attempt to derail the nuclear deal, while Revolutionary Guards commanders continue to disregard Resolution “2231”.
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