Iran Revolutionary Guards conduct ballistic missile test

[jpak]

Source: Reuters

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) test-fired several ballistic missiles from silos across the country on Tuesday, state television said, defying recent U.S. sanctions on its missile programme.

The test happened two months after the United States sanctioned businesses and individuals linked to Iran's missile programme over a test of the medium-range Emad missile carried out in October 2015.

Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC's aerospace arm, said sanctions would not stop Iran developing its ballistic missiles, which it regards as a cornerstone of its conventional deterrent.

"Our main enemies are imposing new sanctions on Iran to weaken our missile capabilities… But they should know that the children of the Iranian nation in the Revolutionary Guards and other armed forces refuse to bow to their excessive demands," the IRGC's website quoted Hajizadeh as saying.

<more>

Read more: http://in.reuters.com/article/iran-test-fires-missiles-idINKCN0WA0VA

[monicaangela]

1. Isn't this a bit like the kettle calling the pot black?

[Wilms]

2. Except that the USA is a force for good.

And it's #1!!1.

[monicaangela]

3. Yeah baby! Shock and Awe

That's a force for good alright.

[Jed28]

4. Missle tests

Maybe Iran has been following the GOP presidential campaign? Carpet bombing Ted. Screw the Geneva Convention Trump, etc...

[leftynyc]

5. I don't appreciate

when ANYONE thumbs their noses at the American President - especially a President who put his reputation on the line to try and bring Iran into the world community. Fuck them.

[DhhD]

6. Lame duckness has has it weakness as seen by those readying for the future return of warhawkness.

Satire.

[malthaussen]

7. Since MRBMs are pretty useless to Iran as a deterrent...

... one wonders what the targets would be.

Of course, an MRBM is a stepping-stone to an ICBM, but Iran still couldn't mount a credible deterrent without nuclear warheads, and would have to build quite a few to mount a credible deterrent with them. I wonder who their strategic planners think is the greatest threat to their security. Other than the U.S., of course.

-- Mal

[bora13]

8. Saudi arabia

Saudi are their other adversary.

[Igel]

9. Saudia Arabia.

Qatar isn't popular. Nor is Bahrain.

They share a border with a NATO country, don't forget. And their missiles might not reach all that far, but can certainly pose a potential problem in the Persian Gulf for shipping.

And often sort of run afoul of Sunni Pakistan, what with the Balochi independence movement that springs up from time to time in the SE.

Iraq hasn't always been a good guy, as far as Iran's concerned, and if the Kurds get any more autonomy they could pose a problem. Not only do they have troubles with Balochis from time to time, but also with their Arab population in the SW and the large Kurdish population (and smaller Azeri) populations in their NW.

It's easy to forget that modern Iran is the rump of a much larger empire, but still sports the subjugated ethnicities that are part-and-parcel of being an empire. Some of those subjugated ethnicities don't always feel at home in a Shi'ite Persian-speaking country, for any number of reasons.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

10. And Saudi and company...

... have been running multi nation "exercises", in the region. Some think in preparation of invading Syria, Israel... take your pick.

[bemildred]

11. Lot's of sabre rattling going on these days. nt