Rouhani Vows to Breach Iran Deal with Missile Sales

By Ari Yashar

After threatening war if deal fails, Iran's president says 'we will trade rockets and won't wait for any permission,' despite UN resolution.

The Iran nuclear deal sealed last month stipulates that the UN embargo on conventional weapons will continue another five years, and missile sanctions will remain for another eight years - but Iranian President Hassan Rouhani vowed Saturday to breach those conditions of the deal.

"We will purchase weapons from wherever we deem necessary and we are not waiting for anyone's permission; if we deem necessary we will sell our weapons and we will do this without paying attention to any resolution," Rouhani said at a National Defense Industry Day ceremony according to the semi-official Fars News Agency.

The comment comes after Rouhani threatened war if the Iran nuclear deal fails, saying, "Iran's strategy is based on defense and deterrence. The first line is diplomats and the second line is generals. Diplomats should be backed by generals. If they fail, it is the generals' turn to come forward."

Critics of the deal already have condemned the agreement for weakening the restrictions on the missile trade of the leading state sponsor of terror, but Rouhani's latest remarks indicate he doesn't intend to even wait for the deal to remove the embargoes and sanctions.

While the UN Security Council resolution adopting the nuclear deal stipulates that the transfer to Iran of ballistic missile technology during the next eight years will be subject to the approval of the council, US President Barack Obama's administration has said it would veto that request.

Rouhani continued on Saturday, saying, "there is a high-speed movement towards self-sufficiency in the defense industry sector. We pursue the policy of détente, convergence and confidence-building with the world, yet this policy does not run counter to our defensive power and industry."

Iran has made clear it intends to breach another section of the agreement, when it vowed to flout the part of the UN resolution that adopted the nuclear deal in which Iran is required not to test long-range ballistic missiles that can be used to carry a nuclear payload.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Aerospace Force Commander Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh was quoted by Fars on Friday reiterating the promise to hold ballistic missile tests in breach of the UN resolution.

"The IRGC Aerospace Force will hold a large-scale ballistic missiles war-games soon," Hajizadeh vowed.

Despite its protestations to the contrary, Iran's domestic long-range ballistic missiles are in fact nuclear capable according to international reports, particularly the Shahab 3 and Sejjil 2.

During the annual Defense Industry Day, a new fighter jet meant to combat Israel was deployed to the Iranian Air Force. Likewise a new advanced missile was unveiled, as was a satellite launcher that experts estimate paves the way for Iran's development of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).