Pressures could lead Iran toward expanding the missile program – Iran warns Europe

Tabnak – At the same time as they try to compel Iran to remain in the 2015 nuclear deal by establishing an independent financial mechanism, the European countries claim Iran should give concessions on its missile and regional activities. Tehran now warns that if further pressured, it may expand the scope of its missile program.

Deputy Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says if Western powers seek to limit Iran’s missile power, the country will have no option but to expand its potentials in the strategically important field.

Brigadier General Hossein Salami said late on Saturday that Iran’s strategy to maintain a cap on its missile power will change if the European Union and others seek to force the country into disarmament.

“If the Europeans and others want to pursue the missile disarmament of the Islamic Republic of Iran based on a conspiracy, we will have no option but to resort to a strategic leap,” said Salami while speaking to the Iranian television.

The commander said Iran had no technical limits to expand the range, the destructive power and the propulsion system of its missiles, adding that it was Tehran’s policy to maintain a certain cap on the range of the missiles based on its own defensive strategy.

Salami said, however, that cap could be removed if others decide to pressure Iran into dismantling its long-range missile arsenal. “Our defense strategy can change commensurate with the conditions and changes in the behavior of role-players,” said the IRGC commander.

In the same vein, the senior spokesman of the Iranian Armed Forces has once again reiterated Iran's message of peace and friendship to the world, emphasizing that the country seeks no one's permission to boost its defense capabilities.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran manufactures any equipment it requires to defend the country and will not ask for anybody's permission in this regard," Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi told IRNA on Sunday.

He added that Iran has been enhancing its power since the victory of the Islamic Revolution some 40 years ago, and currently enjoys high capabilities in defense and security sectors. The military official emphasized that the Islamic Republic continues to play its role as a powerful country in both regional and global spheres.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran's defense equipment, capabilities and power are meant for deterrence. However, if any country sought aggression ... against this land, it would be given such a strong response that it would regret what it has done," Shekarchi added.

Iran has repeatedly dismissed the Western positions on its missile program, saying the program is not up for negotiation as part of efforts to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an international deal on the country’s nuclear activities which has suffered as a result of a decision last year by the United States to unilaterally withdraw from the agreement.