Trump criticized Iran for test-firing a missile capable of striking Israel and slammed the nuclear deal as “not much of an agreement.”
US President Donald Trump on Saturday pointed to a missile test by Iran as another breach of the nuclear agreement the Islamic Republic had reached with the US and other nations.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) on Friday displayed its latest ballistic missile capable of reaching Israel and much of the Middle East.
The US opposes Iran’s ballistic missile program. Trump signed a bill last month imposing penalties on those involved with it.
Iran’s state TV aired a video of the test-firing on Friday of a Khoramshahr medium-range ballistic missile. The time or location of the test was not mentioned in the report.
Trump: Iran is Working with North Korea
Trump tweeted Saturday about the public unveiling of the missile, saying, “Iran just test-fired a Ballistic Missile capable of reaching Israel. They are also working with North Korea. Not much of an agreement we have!”
Though Iran has long boasted of having such long-range missiles in its arsenal, it was the first time that the Khoramshahr, with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles), was displayed in public.
In February, Iran test-fired the same medium-range type of missile, prompting Trump to say that the United States is “putting Iran on notice.” Iran’s state TV aired footage late Friday it said showed a Khoramshahr medium-range ballistic missile being test fired. The report did not mention the time or location of the test.
The nuclear agreement reached during the Obama administration does not strictly prohibit Iran from developing missiles. Critics of the deal point to this legal loophole as one of the agreement’s failures.
Worst One-Sided Deal in American History
Trump has suggested he might seek to renegotiate the nuclear deal or abandon it. He told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday that the accord was “nothing short of an embarrassment” and the “worst one-sided deal perhaps in American history.”
In his speech at the UN, Trump accused Iran of supporting terrorists and called Tehran a “corrupt dictatorship” and a “murderous regime.”
Speaking a day later, Rouhani said the Iranian people are waiting for an apology from Trump for his “extremely offensive” rhetoric and “unfounded” allegations about Iran.
On Thursday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all major policies in Iran, said Trump’s “cheap, ugly, foolish and unreal” remarks at the UNGA were a sign of desperation. During a meeting with a clerical assembly, Khamenei said such comments “do not come from power, but from anger, desperation and weak-mindedness.”
Officials have said Trump might use the October 15 deadline for certifying to Congress whether Iran is in compliance with the nuclear deal to either declare Iran in violation or determine that the agreement is no longer in the national security interest of the US.
Iran claims its military development is for defense purposes only. However, many of these weapons were given to the Hezbollah terror organization and used against Israel’s civilian population during the Second Lebanon War in the summer of 2006.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to use its missiles against Israel.
By: AP and United with Israel Staff
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