A preeminent Israeli missile expert criticized the Obama administration for weaknesses in the Iran nuclear deal signed last summer, telling THE WEEKLY STANDARD that the agreement allows Iran to explain away its attempts to procure missiles with nuclear capabilities.
“The Obama administration made a very calculated decision to exclude missiles from the equation. Obviously,” Uzi Rubin, who founded the Israeli Defense Ministry’s Missile Defense Organization, told TWS. “They wanted a deal, they thought it was more important than to [go on] about details. So in fact, the outlook was global proliferation rather than national security of the allies in the Middle East.”
Iranian ballistic missile activity is discouraged under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, which codifies the nuclear deal and “calls upon” the Islamic Republic not to engage in activity “related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons.” The nuclear deal itself does not prohibit ballistic missile tests.
That language, Rubin said, allows Iran to get away with developing its missile program.
“For the Iranians, missiles have nothing to do with the nuclear agreement,” Rubin said. “[The Iranians say] our missiles are not designed to be nuclear, and anyway, we are not mandated not to deal with them, we are requested.”
Germany’s federal domestic intelligence agency reported in late June that Iran has increased its efforts to procure material “in connection with [its] ambitious missile technology program which could … potentially serve to deliver nuclear weapons.”
Rubin told TWS that the reports were “nothing new,” and that Iranians use front companies to obtain material from foreign countries “all the time.”
“They never give up. They have several channels or several routes for every item that they need. If one is closed … there is another way,” Rubin said during a breakfast hosted by the Air Force Association. “Those companies sell not necessarily to Iranians. They come under all kinds of covers—very innocent, like British companies, Russian companies, Italian companies.”
The Obama administration has maintained that they have “no information to indicate that Iran has procured any materials in violation” of the nuclear deal.
Iran has tested ballistic missiles at least four times since the signing the nuclear deal, with the most recent attempt being days ago, Fox News reported Friday. On one occasion, Iran showcased missiles that had “Israel must be wiped out” written on them. Iranian officials have said that the tests are defensive and conventional in nature, and that the country’s missile program is in no way related to the nuclear deal.
Administration officials have avoided calling the launches a “violation,” instead saying that the tests are “inconsistent” with the U.N. resolution.
