Iran has right not to accept limitation on missile program: Pundit

Press TV has conducted an interview with Nader Bagherzadeh, a political analyst from California, to discuss the unveiling of the second underground missile facility by Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

The following is a rough transcription of the interview. 

Press TV: This is obviously coming at the time just after the US has been considering sanctions on Iran because of its missile program. What kind of a message do you think this is going to send to the US right now even though those sanctions have been delayed?

Bagherzadeh: As you just said those sanctions have been delayed because the Obama administration wants to make sure that the agreement will go forward. They have spent a lot protocol capital on this and I think that was the move that caught a lot of criticism from conservative journals and papers. Wall Street Journal had several articles criticizing what Mr. Obama has done so far. So, he is holding a line trying to make sure that those that are against the deal in Iran and also in the United States will not mess up the agreement in the way that it will not go forward. So, they are trying very hard to make sure at least even with these missile tests and demonstrations that the agreement will go forward which is really the most important achievement for Obama administration on foreign policy.

Press TV: Why even they considered the sanctions?

Bagherzadeh: Because the existing United Nations Security Council resolutions, not the ones that will be activated once the agreement is in place which is right after Iran’s demonstration of meeting all those requirements that Mr. Amano writes in his report, that one suggests that Iran should not work on missiles but the old sanctions which is the resolution that is in place is asking Iran not to do it. Of course Iran does not accept that because this is a defensive measure trying to protect given the current situation in the Middle East. You can see that Iran has the very right to find a way of protecting itself.

Press TV: Does not Iran have the right to defend itself in every way possible?

Bagherzadeh: For sure. It is just that unfortunate resolution by the United Nations Security Council makes it difficult even Iran to exercise its defensive measures. So, that is really a problem because that Security Council resolution is in place unfortunately right now. But hopefully if the agreement goes through which it seems to be going through the nuclear agreement, the new resolution will make it much milder in terms of emphasizing Iran’s missiles program. So, assuming, two or three or four weeks from now then exercising more missile tests  should not provoke any hopefully more resolutions or request for United Nations Security Council to discuss this. 

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