Just days after the three EU members of the P5+1 nuclear deal were complaining about Iran’s recent missile tests, claiming they were violating a ban on nuclear-capable missile development, Israel confirmed a rocket test of its own. Iran immediately issued a comparable statement, labeling Israel as testing a “nuke-missile, aimed at Iran.“
Iranian officials were deliberately calling out the double standard between them and Israel, with FM Javad Zarif noting that the EU nations and US “never complain about the only nuclear arsenal in West Asia,” while constantly faulting Iran for conventional missiles.
While the US and the other Western nations often complain about Iran violating the ban on advancing nuclear-capable missiles, Iran’s lack of nuclear weapons makes this surely theoretical. The US, in particular, has argued that even launching telecommunications satellites into orbit violates the ban because the know-how could conceivably be transferred.
Israel, on the other hand, is known to have a nuclear weapons program, and while it’s not clear that the test in question was directly part of that program, Iran does have a point when it notes that Western nations never complain about Israel’s arsenal, and constantly rips on Iran for its civilian nuclear program.
“Iran does have a point when it notes that Western nations never complain about Israel’s arsenal, and constantly rips on Iran for its civilian nuclear program.”
The US knows there is no such thing as a peaceful civilian nuclear program.
Since the early 1900’s this land has been considered a Western beachhead and staging area for control of the Middle East. First by the British to protect the Suez Canal and the oil fields in Iraq. After WW2 by Israel as a proxy for the West and today principally for our interest and control of the region.
What has changed is that Israel is no longer the only of our beachheads. Our governments are trying to hold on to Iraq and Afghanistan but Israel, except for its complex domestic politics, remains the most reliable of the beachheads in the Muslim-Arabic world.
What has also radically changed is that our nation is getting tired of the wars which are necessary to maintain the beachheads.
This is hardly new or requiring anything but fair observation-singularly lacking from US behavior towards Israel and it alleged enemies.