Iran:Khamenei's missile muscle-flexing is to cloak his damaged position caused by the nuclear deal and the election outcome

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran

Nuri Industries and Movahed Industries are major centers in building nuclear-warhead-capable missiles

The Iranian regime’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei whose position has been severely damaged by the nuclear deal and last month’s sham elections desperately tries to prop up his lost status through missile muscle-flexing. Speaking on this matter he said today: “Today is the time for both missile and diplomacy”. The missiles Khamenei is talking about are the nuclear-warhead-capable missiles that were tested last month.

Drawing on this muscle-flexing, Khamenei attacked his rivals in an unprecedented fashion: “Those who say the future is in negotiations, not in missiles, are either ignorant or traitors”.

These remarks demonstrate that Khamenei is mustering all his power to continue with the nuclear and missile projects in breach of UN Security Council resolution and that diplomacy and talks are merely a cover to advance these projects. He is also attempting to cloak the regime’s internal crises while getting the upper hand in the infighting within the regime.

This is despite the fact that Rouhani is completely in line with Khamenei in these anti-Iranian projects. Seventy days prior to the recent missile test on December 31, 2015, Rouhani wrote in a directive to the defense minister: “The program to produce all types of missiles needed by the armed forces should continue with seriousness and speed.” He went on to add that the regime has never “negotiated on its missile program with anyone and shall not accept any restrictions in this realm”. He has also stated that in the two years of his presidency, the regime’s weaponry has grown by 80% with respect to a decade ago. This means that on average, without taking into account inflation, expenditures on weaponry have grown fivefold.

Iran Election or Selection? What are the Prospects?

Members of Assembly of Expertes - March 2015

On February 26, two “elections” will be held in Iran simultaneously: for the 290 seats of “Islamic Consultative Assembly.” (Majlis or parliament) and for the 86-member Assembly of Experts which is nominally tasked with selecting the Supreme Leader and supervising his conduct.

The Constitution and election laws

The nature of elections in Iran is different from democratic countries. The Constitution prevents those elections from adhering to recognized international standards and from reflecting the preferences of the full range of Iran’s societal demographics.

Some of the Articles in the clerical regime’s constitution regarding elections

Article 91: Provides the formation of the “Guardian Council” (GC) which is comprised of six theologians appointed by the Supreme Leader and six jurists appointed by the head of the Judiciary, who is also appointed by the Supreme Leader. The Article states: “With a view to safeguarding the Islamic ordinances and the Constitution and in order to examine the compatibility of the legislation passed by the Islamic Consultative Assembly with Islam, a council to be known as the Guardian Council is to be established.”

Women in History

Nancy Astor

-1919- Nancy Astor was elected a Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. She was the first woman to sit in the House of Commons.

Nancy Witcher Langhorne Astor (19 May 1879 – 2 May 1964), rallied the supporters of the incumbent government, moderated her Prohibition views, and used women's meetings to gain the support of female voters. A by-election was held on 28 November 1919, and she took up her seat in the House on 1 December as a Unionist (also known as "Tory") Member of Parliament. Astor's friendship with George Bernard Shaw helped her through some of her problems, although his own nonconformity caused friction between them. They held opposing political views and had very different temperaments. However, his own tendency to make controversial statements or put her into awkward situations proved to be a drawback for her political career. Astor was challenged by the rise of Nazism. She criticized them for devaluing the position of women, but was strongly opposed to the idea of another World War. Lady Astor died in 1964 at her daughter Nancy Astor's home at Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire.