Defiant Iran Triples Missile Production

Defiant Iran says missile production has tripled

A senior Iranian military official said his country has tripled its missile production, amid efforts by the international community to curb it.

Speaking at his military headquarters, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force, also slammed the world powers, including Israel, for their “hypocrisy” in trying to contain Iran’s military aspirations and limit its missile production, Iran’s Fars news agency reported Wednesday.

“In the past we had to explain our actions to various bodies, but not any more,” he said. “The law of the world is the hands of the United States, Britain, France and the Zionist regime and they have written these laws with arrogance. But if they want they change them.”

His comments come just two days after French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Tehran and called for the regime to curb its missile program.

Le Drian said there was “still a lot of work to do” on Iran’s missile program after meeting with top officials, including President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Iran rebuffed his calls.

Rouhani issued a statement after meeting Le Drian, saying, “Preserving the nuclear accord will prove to the world that negotiation and diplomacy are the best option for solving problems, while its collapse will signify that political negotiations are a waste of time.”

The visit came in the midst of a scramble by European governments to salvage the 2015 deal after US President Donald Trump threatened he would abandon it unless tough new restrictions were placed on Iran before May 12.

On Tuesday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to stand with Trump’s ultimatum that Congress and European allies modify the 2015 nuclear accord — ending its sunset provisions, incorporating a ban on ballistic missile testing and increasing inspection access to Iran’s military sites — or face the demise of the landmark agreement.

“The president has also made clear that if the fatal flaws of the nuclear deal are not fixed, he will walk away from the deal and restore sanctions,” the prime minister said. “Israel will be right there by his side, and let me tell you, so will other countries in the region.”