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Iran's top diplomat scolded President Donald Trump
Wednesday for a weekend tweet about a nonexistent Iranian missile
launch and essentially ruled out renegotiating or launching follow-up
talks to a landmark nuclear accord that Trump is threatening to
dismantle... He also criticized a recent referendum on independence
by Iraq's Kurdish minority as "dangerous" to stability in a
Middle East already beset by efforts to defeat the Islamic State
extremist group and civil wars in Syria and Yemen.
Iran is working tirelessly to outfit the Hezbollah
terrorist group with more accurate missiles for a future war with
Israel, which may dramatically affect the nature of such a conflict,
according to Israeli military assessments released Wednesday. The
army also believes that Iran will continue with its efforts to
establish a presence in Syria through proxies, with which it can
support Hezbollah and potentially open a second Syrian front against
Israel.
When President Donald Trump tweeted on
Saturday that Iran had "just test-fired" a missile, he
seemed to know something the rest of the government did not. Turns
out, he did not. There was no Iranian ballistic missile launch, three
U.S. officials said Tuesday. Iran's Revolutionary Guard had used a
military parade on Friday to display its Khoramshahr medium-range
ballistic missile, which is capable of reaching Israel and much of
the Middle East. That same day, video of the test firing of a
Khoramshahr aired on Iranian state TV. The time or location of the
test was not mentioned in the report, and it appears that the video
footage was from a failed Iranian missile test earlier this year.
UANI IN THE NEWS
(26:55) It's difficult to say, ultimately it's the
president's decision, but a lot of indicators point to a decision to
not certify the Iran deal. As you know, the president is required
under related U.S. legislation to certify to Congress that the Iran
nuclear deal is accomplishing certain goals that are set on the
legislation and also in line with American national security
interests, etc....
IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL
Iran's foreign minister said the country is willing to
formally accept a tougher nuclear inspection regime in six years,
while continuing to rule out any renegotiation of a 2015 agreement
U.S. President Donald Trump has called an "embarrassment"
and "the worst deal ever."
CONGRESSIONAL ACTION
Hawkish Republican senators are advising President
Donald Trump to decertify the Iran nuclear deal in October, a move
that critics of the agreement see as a key step in changing U.S.
policy toward Iran. Trump is required to certify to Congress every 90
days whether Iran is fully implementing the deal and whether
continued sanctions relief is in America's vital national security
interests, among other conditions. If he does not, lawmakers have 60
days to debate reimposing nuclear deal sanctions. Florida senator
Marco Rubio said he is meeting with administration officials this
week and has advised the president to decertify.
A bipartisan pair of lawmakers has introduced
legislation that would create a commission to oversee the Iran
nuclear deal, as President Trump approaches a deadline to certify
whether Tehran is in compliance. "Increasing public transparency
surrounding the Iran deal's implementation is a critical priority,"
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said in a statement Wednesday.
"Congress has a role to play in effective oversight of this
agreement, and we must assert that role regardless of whether the
president certifies Iran's compliance. This commission ensures that
the effort to constrain the Iranian nuclear program receives the
attention it deserves." Connolly, who supported the Iran deal,
and freshman Rep. Francis Rooney (R-Fla.) propose creating a
20-member commission in the style of the Helsinki Commission that
oversees relations with Europe.
MILITARY MATTERS
Iran says it is developing nuclear-powered submarines
and building a new advanced destroyer for its navy, even as tensions
rise with the United States over the Islamic Republic's military
expansion. The commander of the Iranian navy told the country's
semiofficial news agency, Fars, Tuesday that Iran's nuclear agency
was under orders to start producing nuclear reactors for fueling and
propulsion systems that could be used on ships and submarines.
They described Iran's military training as a 21-month
ordeal of physical humiliation, psychological stress and petty
corruption, where mental health problems fester and socioeconomic
grievances are magnified. Many said superiors often trample on poor
and disadvantaged recruits while the wealthy and well-connected avoid
the toughest tasks - or dodge the draft altogether. "Almost
everyone is a victim of hazing and mistreatment," Ahmad said.
"I am educated, so I don't have it as bad. But I hate the
service and I hate my surroundings. I don't feel any patriotism in my
heart." The shootings have raised uncomfortable questions for
Iran's army, one of the largest in the Middle East with an estimated
350,000 active-duty troops, nearly two-thirds of whom are conscripts.
IRAQ CRISIS
A top ranking delegation from Iraq's armed forces headed
to neighboring Iran on Wednesday "to coordinate military
efforts", according to a statement from the Iraqi military. The
statement did not give any details about the aim of the visit,
believed to be part of retaliatory measures taken by the government
in Baghdad following the independence referendum held in Iraq's
northern Kurdish region on Monday. Iran and Turkey also oppose
any move toward Kurdish secession and their armies have started joint
drills near their borders with Iraqi Kurdistan in recent days. Iraq
and Turkey have also held joint military drills.
OPINION & ANALYSIS
The proposal being advanced by McMaster, Tillerson and
others -- that President Trump keep the United States in the JCPOA
but not certify to Congress that it is in our national security
interests -- is absurd, especially after the president called the
agreement an embarrassment to the United States. This option
will ensure that this dangerous agreement continues as is and will
undermine Mr. Trump's credibility with the American people and the
world... President Trump should... [be] implementing a clean
withdrawal from the fraudulent Iran nuclear deal using the plan
drafted by Ambassador Bolton.
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