Iran Trebled Missile Production despite Western Pressure

Iran has trebled its missile production despite pressure from the US and some other Western countries to put the brakes on its missile program.

“Today, despite the hostilities and the measures taken by the global arrogance and enemies, everyone (In Iran) stand united regarding the missile issue, particularly the ground-to-ground missiles,” Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander, aerospace division, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) was quoted as saying by Presstv during an event in Tehran Wednesday.

“Our [missile] products have increased three-fold compared to the past,” he said.

Hajizadeh criticized Washington’s stand against Iran’s missile program as double standard as it (US) has been boosting its own atomic arsenal on a daily basis but does not want Iran to have its own missiles.

The global arrogance “has set up a front against us,” but it cannot do anything, he concluded.

Iranian foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Monday, "US and Europeans should stop pouring hundreds of billions of dollars of weapons into our region instead of questioning Iran’s missiles. Not restricted by UNSC, but necessary to deter repeat of our people’s suffering when Saddam—with western support—showered us with missiles.”

Additionally on Wednesday, Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the IRGC’s second-in-command, said Iran’s missile power was “non-negotiable and unstoppable,” stressing that “no country has the ability to exert control over Iran’s defense power.”

The IRGC commander also emphasized that all Iranians have joined hands to stand against “any intervention or illogical remarks by countries such as the US and its European allies.”

He further urged hostile powers to “accept the reality of Iran’s emergence as a power with logic and credibility in the field of deterrence.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Tehran on Monday and held talks with senior Iranian officials on different topics, among them Iran's ballistic missile program.

After the meetings, Le Drian claimed that there was “still a lot of work to do” on Iran’s missile program.