Iran Lawmaker Claims Draft US Drones Law Targets Nuclear Talks
A lawmaker says proposed United States measures targeting Iran’s drones program is meant to squeeze concessions in the Vienna nuclear talks.
A lawmaker says proposed United States measures targeting Iran’s drones program is meant to squeeze concessions in the Vienna nuclear talks.
In an interview with the official news agency IRNA published Friday, member of parliament Mohammad-Hasan Asafari claimed the Stop Iranian Drones Act (SIDA) promoted anti-Iranian sentiment across the region as a means to pressure Tehran in talks with world powers over restoring the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. “The United States should know that Iran's drone capability is non-negotiable and cannot be stopped,” he said.
Asafari is a former senior commander of the Revolutionary Guard, IRGC.
The House of Representatives passed draft legislation by 424 votes to two last Wednesday requiring the president to sanction persons and entities involved in Iran's drone development. The bill requires approval from the Senate and a presidential signature to become law.
Asafari claimed regional countries were aware that Iran posed no threat and called Israel and the US the main cause of instability in the Middle East.
Houthi forces in Yemen and pro-Iran Shiite militias in Iraq and Lebanon use Iranian drones as to attack, Suadi, American and Israeli targets.
Praising the drones Iran has developed – in their flight times, weapon capacity, and radar evasion – Asafari said Iran was ready to offer neighboring countries its knowledge and experience.
The lawmaker claimed Iranian drones could penetrate Israel's Iron Dome air defense system and carry out surveillance of US military in the Persian Gulf, but were not a threat to any country unless the interests of the Iranian people were at stake.
