Iran celebrated the 38th anniversary of its takeover of the American embassy in 1979 in its usual fashion. There were parades in most Iranian cities and the usual chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”
But in Tehran, there was another kind of celebration. The Iranians paraded an updated version of one of their most powerful ICBMs, flipping the finger to Donald Trump and putting the world on notice that nothing will stop them from developing the technologies to directly threaten the United States.
The FARS news agency announced that the missile, a new version of the Qadr H, “can be launched from mobile platforms or silos in different positions and can escape missile defense shields due to their radar-evading capability.” It has a range of at least 1300 miles, putting it in range of Israel and most U.S. bases in the region.
CNN reports on a speech during the festivities given by Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. “The US has long been dealt blows by our country and our region and thus regularly bares its warmongering teeth,” Shamkhani said, according to state-run Press TV.
“And when a missile is tested thousands of kilometers away, after (issuing empty) threats, all their president does is put out a tweet,” he said in an apparent reference to North Korea’s missile tests.
Shamkhani also directed some spite at American politics: “American politicians and people are having second thoughts about their choice of president and acknowledge that the US has been defeated in materializing its foreign policy.”
There is little appetite in Europe for more Iranian sanctions, given the huge contracts signed with Iran by European companies following the scuttling of sanctions. The Obama administration enabled Iranian missile development by refusing to include it in the nuclear deal. But UN resolutions make Iran’s missile building illegal. Not surprisingly, it hasn’t stopped them in the slightest.
AP reminds us that “the former embassy in Tehran is now a cultural center while standing as a symbol of a U.S. defeat for many Iranians. Many Iranians call it the ‘den of spies.'” It seems incredible that after 38 years, Iran has not been called to account for not only violating international law by seizing our embassy, but torturing and mistreating the hostages at the time. Just two days ago, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the U.S. as Iran’s “number one enemy.”
And yet, the former president saw fit to sign a deal that gave the Iranians tens of billions of dollars to spend on weapons to destroy us while allowing the regime to continue in its quest to build a nuclear weapon.
Yes, but the deal was “historic” wasn’t it?
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