Iran Nuclear Deal Update: White House Puts Iran 'On Notice' For Ballistic Missile Launch, Attack On Saudi Ship

The White House on Wednesday began laying the groundwork for reworking the nuclear deal with Iran, issuing a statement to put Tehran “on notice” for launching a ballistic missile and for the attack on a Saudi ship by Iran-backed Houthi militants.

National security adviser Michael Flynn criticized the Obama administration for not only entering the agreement, but for failing “to respond adequately to Tehran’s malign actions — including weapons transfers, support for terrorism and other violations of international norms.”

U.S. officials confirmed Iran test-fired a ballistic missile Sunday. In a statement Monday, Iran’s foreign minister insisted the missile launch is not covered by the nuclear agreement reached in July 2015 between Iran and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany. A side agreement to the nuclear deal does not outlaw all missile tests but singles out ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads as prohibited.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels conducted a suicide attack on a Saudi frigate off the western coast of Yemen in the Red Sea on Monday, killing two crewmen and injuring three others, the Saudi state news agency SPA said, signaling an escalation in combat.

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee condemned the launch as a violation of Iran’s international commitments and U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231.

“No longer will Iran be given a pass for its repeated ballistic missile violations, continued support of terrorism, human rights abuses and other hostile activities that threaten international peace and security,” Corker said.

The White House statement said the Trump administration has no intention of looking the other way.

“President Trump has severely criticized the various agreements reached between Iran and the Obama administration, as well as the United Nations, as being weak and ineffective,” the White House statement said.

“Instead of being thankful to the United States for these agreements, Iran is now feeling emboldened. As of today, we are officially putting Iran on notice.”

Members of the U.N. Security Council met Tuesday to discuss the missile launch, with U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley lobbying for strict enforcement of the nuclear agreement, NPR reported.

The president, in an appearance before AIPAC in March pledged to dismantle the Iran deal but later softened his position, saying he would like to renegotiate parts of it.

Here’s the White House statement:

February 1, 2017

Statement by the National Security Advisor

Recent Iranian actions, including a provocative ballistic missile launch and an attack against a Saudi naval vessel conducted by Iran-supported Houthi militants, underscore what should have been clear to the international community all along about Iran’s destabilizing behavior across the Middle East.

The recent ballistic missile launch is also in defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which calls upon Iran “not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology.”

These are just the latest of a series of incidents in the past six months in which Houthi forces that Iran has trained and armed have struck Emirati and Saudi vessels, and threatened U.S. and allied vessels transiting the Red Sea. In these and other similar activities, Iran continues to threaten U.S. friends and allies in the region.

The Obama Administration failed to respond adequately to Tehran’s malign actions—including weapons transfers, support for terrorism, and other violations of international norms. The Trump Administration condemns such actions by Iran that undermine security, prosperity, and stability throughout and beyond the Middle East and place American lives at risk.

President Trump has severely criticized the various agreements reached between Iran and the Obama Administration, as well as the United Nations – as being weak and ineffective.

Instead of being thankful to the United States for these agreements, Iran is now feeling emboldened.

As of today, we are officially putting Iran on notice.