RUTHFULLY YOURS

Iran’s firing long-range ballistic missiles that could reach Israel last week was the result of the Obama administration’s unwavering refusal to hold the regime accountable. 

Last week Iran flaunted its violation of U.N. Resolution 2231, which bans Tehran from “any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using ballistic missile technology.”  

But Iran feels reassured. After all, the regime was not held responsible for three fire previous testing of ballistic missiles, even after the Iran Deal was agreed upon. Instead of punishing the Islamic Republic, the U.S. added a few Iranian individuals and companies to its designation list, as if these were engaging in a private missiles development program. 

The White House was, yet again, announced its “concern” with the recent Revolutionary Guard’s test-firing ballistic missiles that had “Israel must be wiped off the Earth” written on them in Hebrew.  

U.S. envoy to the United Nations, Samantha Power, stated Iran’s firing ballistic missiles was “provocative and destabilizing,” and condemned Teheran’s direct threats against “another U.N. member state and one of our closest allies,” She went on promising the U.S. will demand “full implementation of Resolution 2231, which expressly prohibits third-party support to Iran’s ballistic missile program, as we also consider our appropriate national response.” But according to State Department’s spokesperson John Kirby, although Iran’s firing ballistic missiles “It is inconsistent with 2231; it’s not a violation of the Iran deal itself.” This was echoed by a few Democratic members of Congress, but not by Republicans. Commenting on Iran’s latest violation, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) expressed it best, saying: “Conducting ballistic missile tests is akin to throwing dirt in the face of the entire free world. And it reveals Iran has little intention of abiding by the terms of the nuclear deal it agreed to just months ago.” 

However, judging by the Obama administration’s acquiescence to Iran’s demands, it is safe to assume the U.S. and the U.N. will do nothing to stop Iran’s ballistic missiles development.

The administration ignores Director of National Intelligence James Clapper repeated warnings that “Iran’s ballistic missiles are inherently capable of delivering WMD, and Tehran already has the largest inventory of ballistic missiles in the Middle East.” Instead, it objects to new Congressional sanctions on Iran, “given the fact that we’ve given them a warning,” Sec. of State John Kerry advised the Senate Appropriations subcommittee last month. “If they decide to do another launch then I think there’s a rationale.”  State’s Kirby’s reaction to Iran’s latest missiles testing was in line with his boss’s earlier statement; the U.S. would consider “unilateral and multilateral tools.”

After deliberately destabilizing the Middle East, Mr. Obama has put lots of efforts into legitimizing the nuclear and terrorist agendas of Iran. This new legitimacy and the $100 billion released to the mullahs, help expedite its growing influence on and intervention in the region in a way understood by all, but Obama, to directly threaten the Gulf States, Egypt and especially Israel.

It is clear that as far as the Obama administration is concerned, Iran cannot do anything wrong. Revelations of Iran’s massive human rights violations, or cyber attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure, carry no sanctions.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at the Commerce Department maintains, “until further notice, all Export Administration Regulations( EAR) controls pertaining to Iran remain in place, and will continue to be vigorously enforced,” as long as the International Atomic Agency (IAEA) verifies that Iran has implemented its commitments to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). But as was reiterated last week, even the reports that Iran chooses to give the IAEA will remain secret, and that’s just fine with the Obama administration.

Instead of fulfilling the Nobel Peace Prize Committee’s misplaced hope that he will “prevent nuclear proliferation,” Obama did his best to increase proliferation, making this world more, not less, dangerous.

Legitimizing Iran and arming it with billions of dollars that help Iran fund North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missiles developments helped weaken the international non-proliferation regime and increased the nuclear threat not only to Israel and the Gulf States but also to the U.S.