In Grotesque Irony Iran Warns Obama Not To Cross "Red Lines"

In Grotesque Irony Iran Warns Obama Not To Cross "Red Lines"

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/04/2016 19:08 -0400



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Last July, the United States entered into an agreement with Iran with the hopes of limiting their nuclear ability. At a high level, the US would lead the way in lifting oil and financial sanctions imposed due to Iran’s nuclear programs; in return Iran would reduce their stockpile of enriched uranium, storage facilities and centrifuges. What was not negotiated, however, were sanctions on missile technologies and conventional weapons.
Per the White House:
[url=http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user5/imageroot/2016/03/27/iran deal.png][/url]
 
Then, in March 2016, Iran launched a series of ballistic missile tests early in the month that got the world’s attention.
 
As we reported then, In a testament to the "success" of Washington's foreign policy towards Iran, Iran's Brigadier General Hossein Salami, deputy commander of the IRGC said the following: "The missiles fired today are the results of sanctions. The sanctions helped Iran develop its missile program." Furthermore, the rockets had a quite clear message written on their side:
 
President Obama's response? He said Iran was "not following the spirit of the deal."
This is what he said according to The Hill:

“Iran so far has followed the letter of the agreement, but the spirit of the agreement involves Iran also sending signals to the world community and businesses that it is not going to be engaging in a range of provocative actions that are going to scare businesses off”

While we’re sure Iran didn’t bat an eyelid at the latest hollow rhetoric from the White House, it did seem to get irritated when the Treasury then implemented fresh sanctions. The thought is that as the missiles become even more capable of hitting long range targets, they could eventually be equipped to carry nuclear warheads as well, immediately putting various neighboring countries in danger.
Fast forward to today, when Iranian Deputy Chief of Staff Brig-Gen Maassoud Jazzayeri was quoted by the Fars News Agency as saying:

"The White House should know that defense capacities and missile power, specially at the present juncture where plots and threats are galore, is among the Iranian nation's red lines and a backup for the country's national security and we don’t allow anyone to violate it"

Clearly, the Iranian Revolutionay Guard was not particularly concerned how Obama evaluates the "spirit" of the deal as long as he remains utterly helpless to change it, something which Iran is absolutely convinced of at this moment.
And then the moment of truth: Iran actually used Obama's infamous "red line" phrase... against him, when "Iran warned the US on Monday that any attempt to encroach on the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile program would constitute the crossing of a "red line."
"The US calculations about the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation are fully incorrect," Iranian Deputy Chief of Staff Brig-Gen Maassoud Jazzayeri was quoted by the Fars News Agency as saying.
Jazzayeri accused US President Barack Obama of making vows and breaking them by saying removal of sanctions on Iran would be conditioned on the Islamic Republic halting its ballistic missile program.
And with that, the farce was complete.
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Incidentally, this latest slapdown back and forth but mostly back didn’t escape the GOP Presidential hopeful Donald Trump, who promptly called Obama a baby for thinking Iran was going to adhere to our guidelines: "I hate seeing President Obama today saying that Iran has violated our agreement. I mean, what did he think? He's now complaining about Iran violating the agreement. What the hell did he think? He's like a baby. He's like a baby."
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-04-04/grotesque-irony-iran-warns-obama-not-cross-red-lines