Putting Iran “on notice” over its Jan. 31 medium-range ballistic missile test, President Donald Trump’s National Security advisor Gen. Michael Flynn called Iran out for supplying weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen. “Iran is now feeling emboldened,” said Flynn referring to Iran testing a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, explicitly prohibited in the July 14, 2015 Iranian Nuke Deal. Negotiated by former Secretary of Sate John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamad Javid Zarif from March 26, 2015 to April 2, 2015, the deal was officially signed by the P5+1. including the U.S., U.K, France, Russia, China and Germany. Kerry bent over backwards, essentially bribing Iran into the deal to curtail Iran’s nuclear enrichment program in exchange for releasing $150 billion in Iranian assets plus and additional $12 billion in cash.
Whatever it took to pull off the deal, Iran continues to stir the pot in the Middle East, supplying arms-and-cash to Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen. U.S. officials oppose any attempt by Iran to subvert Yemen’s Saudi-backed government, under siege since Houthi rebels seized control of Aden, the key transport port in the south. Hitting a Saudi warship with an anti-ship missile Jan. 30 in the Gulf of Aden, Flynn put Iran “on notice” that further aggressive actions interfering with U.S.-friendly shipping through he Gulf of Aden would not pass unnoticed. “The Obama administration failed to respond adequately to Tehran’s malign actions—including weapons transfers, support for terrorism and other violations of international norms,” Flynn said. Flynn points out that former President Barack Obama was content to let Iran run wild in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, a key oil transport lane.
Flynn’s warning comes at a time when U.S.-Russian relations are at rock bottom. If Senate war hawks led by Sen. John McCain (R-Az.) can get out of Trump’s way, it’s possible for the U.S. to resume cooperative relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. McCain can’t control his mouth, often calling Putin a “thug-and-criminal.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) should remind McCain he’s not commander-in-chief, certainly not the chief architect of U.S. foreign policy. McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warned Trump Jan. 27 about lifting Russian sanctions. McCain’s gone so far out-of-line, he needs to be reined in on his proper role as Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer clarified what Flynn meant when he said he put Iran “on notice.”
Spicer signaled that the Trump White House would not sit idly by while Iran flexed its muscle in the Mideast and North Africa. “We felt as though their actions were both provocative and in violation,” said Spicer, referring to provisions of the July 14, 2015 Iranian Nuke Deal. Putting Iran on notice makes “sure that they understand that we weren’t going to sit by and no act on those actions,” said Spicer, taking a tougher stand than Obama. “We will not let any foreigner meddle with out defense issues,” said Iran’s Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan Wednesday. Dehghan denied that Iran’s missile test violated any provision of the 2015 Iran Nuke Deal. Flynn disputed Dehghan’s response. “Activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology,” said Flynn are strictly prohibited.
Trump administration officials got their first taste of Iranian defiance that nearly torpedoed the Iran Nuke Deal. Unlike Obama and Kerry that agreed to Iran’s demands, especially for cold-hard-cash, newly confirmed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson won’t cave in to Iranian demands. Zarif routinely threw fits when he didn’t get his way with Kerry, eventually getting the U.S. to agree to his terms. When you consider Iran negotiated a deal that did not require unannounced on-site inspections of all nuke sites, they got away with murder. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned a joint session of Congress March 3, 2015 that any deal with Iran wouldn’t halt Iran’s feverish pursuit of nuclear weapons, despite all the denials. Trump criticized Obama and Kerry for the Nuke Deal, saying the U.S. gave away the store without getting much in return without paying billions in ransom.
Putting Iran “on notice,” Flynn echoes the views of his boss that criticized the Iranian Nuke Deal as a bad agreement for the U.S. “President Trump has severely criticized the various agreements reached between Iran and the Obama administration, as we as the United Nations—as being weak and ineffective,” said Flynn, rehashing Trump’s stump speeches. Now that he’s speaking for the White House, Flynn should get on the same page as Trump and White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer before talking about binding international agreements. Trump’s U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley requested a U.N. Security Council meeting over Iran’s ballistic missile test. Boasting of ballistic missiles up to 2,000 kilometers [1,200 miles], Iran’s no longer free to violate international agreements without consequences. Getting Putin on-board only helps U.S. leverage with Iran.
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