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| Trump administration 'officially putting Iran on notice', says Michael Flynn | Trump administration 'officially putting Iran on notice', says Michael Flynn |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Trump administration has said it was “officially putting Iran on notice” in reaction to a Iranian missile test and an attack on a Saudi warship by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, but gave no details about how Washington intended to respond. | |
| The threat was made on Wednesday by the national security adviser, Michael Flynn, in his first public statement since taking office. | |
| Speaking in the White House briefing room, Flynn said the medium-range missile launch on Sunday and a Houthi attack on a Saudi frigate on Monday, reportedly by suicide-boat, represented “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 US and allied vessels transiting the Red Sea. | Speaking in the White House briefing room, Flynn said the medium-range missile launch on Sunday and a Houthi attack on a Saudi frigate on Monday, reportedly by suicide-boat, represented “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 US and allied vessels transiting the Red Sea. |
| “In these and other similar activities, Iran continues to threaten US friends and allies in the region,” the national security adviser said. He said Iranian actions “undermine security, prosperity, and stability throughout and beyond the Middle East and place American lives at risk”. | “In these and other similar activities, Iran continues to threaten US friends and allies in the region,” the national security adviser said. He said Iranian actions “undermine security, prosperity, and stability throughout and beyond the Middle East and place American lives at risk”. |
| Flynn did not specify how the new administration would respond. Asked for clarification, the White House spokesman, Sean Spicer, said that the president wanted to make sure the Iranians “understood we are not going to sit by and not act on their actions”. | Flynn did not specify how the new administration would respond. Asked for clarification, the White House spokesman, Sean Spicer, said that the president wanted to make sure the Iranians “understood we are not going to sit by and not act on their actions”. |
| The announcement was not accompanied by any change in the US military stance in the region, or any immediate additional deployments. | |
| “We saw the statement as well,” said a spokesman for US Central Command, which runs operations in the Middle East. “This is still at the policy level, and we are waiting for something to come down the line. We have not been asked to change anything operationally in the region.” | |
| The Pentagon was informed before the announcement and defence secretary James Mattis prevailed upon Flynn to soften his language about Iran from an earlier version. At the time of the Flynn’s statement, Mattis was en route to Asia for an official visit to Japan and South Korea. | |
| Ali Vaez, an Iran expert at the International Crisis Group in Washington, said: “It’s either an empty threat or a clear statement of intent to go to war with Iran. Both are reckless and dangerous ... In an attempt to look strong, the administration could stumble into a war that would make the Afghan and Iraqi conflicts look like a walk in the park.” | Ali Vaez, an Iran expert at the International Crisis Group in Washington, said: “It’s either an empty threat or a clear statement of intent to go to war with Iran. Both are reckless and dangerous ... In an attempt to look strong, the administration could stumble into a war that would make the Afghan and Iraqi conflicts look like a walk in the park.” |
| The Trump team repeatedly signalled during the election campaign that it would take a much tougher line towards Tehran. Both Flynn and the new defence secretary, James Mattis, have long portrayed Iran as a serious strategic threat to US interests. | The Trump team repeatedly signalled during the election campaign that it would take a much tougher line towards Tehran. Both Flynn and the new defence secretary, James Mattis, have long portrayed Iran as a serious strategic threat to US interests. |
| Earlier on Wednesday, the Pentagon confirmed that Mattis had spoken by phone to his Saudi counterpart, Prince Mohammed bin Salman. | Earlier on Wednesday, the Pentagon confirmed that Mattis had spoken by phone to his Saudi counterpart, Prince Mohammed bin Salman. |
| According to the defence department account, the conversation “reaffirmed the importance of the US-Saudi Arabia strategic relationship, particularly to countering new and emerging security challenges in the Middle East”. | According to the defence department account, the conversation “reaffirmed the importance of the US-Saudi Arabia strategic relationship, particularly to countering new and emerging security challenges in the Middle East”. |
| According to the Saudi version, the discussion was more pointedly aimed at Iran, and both men expressed “their full rejection of the suspicious activities and interventions by the Iranian regime and its agents”. | According to the Saudi version, the discussion was more pointedly aimed at Iran, and both men expressed “their full rejection of the suspicious activities and interventions by the Iranian regime and its agents”. |
| Flynn used his appearance at the daily White House press briefing to criticise the Obama administration, which he claimed had “failed to respond adequately to Tehran’s malign actions – including weapons transfers, support for terrorism, and other violations of international norms. | Flynn used his appearance at the daily White House press briefing to criticise the Obama administration, which he claimed had “failed to respond adequately to Tehran’s malign actions – including weapons transfers, support for terrorism, and other violations of international norms. |
| He noted that Donald Trump had “severely criticised the various agreements” the previous administration and the UN made with Iran as being “weak and ineffective”. It was an apparent reference to the nuclear deal the US and five other major powers made in July 2015, which was then formalised in a UN security council resolution, under which Iran drastically reduced its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. | He noted that Donald Trump had “severely criticised the various agreements” the previous administration and the UN made with Iran as being “weak and ineffective”. It was an apparent reference to the nuclear deal the US and five other major powers made in July 2015, which was then formalised in a UN security council resolution, under which Iran drastically reduced its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. |
| The UN resolution endorsing the deal did not impose a complete prohibition on Iranian missile tests, but called on Tehran “not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology”. | The UN resolution endorsing the deal did not impose a complete prohibition on Iranian missile tests, but called on Tehran “not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology”. |
| The Iranian government has denied the missile test broke the UN resolution, insisting it was intended as a defensive weapon. | The Iranian government has denied the missile test broke the UN resolution, insisting it was intended as a defensive weapon. |
| Flynn 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.” | Flynn 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.” |
| During his tenure as the head of the Defence Intelligence Agency, Flynn was reported by the New York Times to have told his subordinates he had concluded that Iran was behind the 2012 terrorist attack on the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi in Libya, and ordered them to find evidence to prove it. | |
| The DIA found no evidence of any Iranian connection to the attack, which was carried out by a Sunni extremist group, Ansar al-Sharia. | |
| Iran is a Shia-run state, which sees Sunni militancy as a serious threat. | |
| The threat, along with the administration’s refugee ban, represent major departures from previous US foreign policy, and came from the White House before the administration’s designated secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, had been confirmed. | The threat, along with the administration’s refugee ban, represent major departures from previous US foreign policy, and came from the White House before the administration’s designated secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, had been confirmed. |
| Tillerson was confirmed in the Senate just over an hour after Flynn’s threat but he will inherit a state department in turmoil, with a growing wave of internal resistance against the executive order suspending arrivals from seven predominantly Muslim countries. The state department has also been the main institutional backer of the Iran nuclear deal. | Tillerson was confirmed in the Senate just over an hour after Flynn’s threat but he will inherit a state department in turmoil, with a growing wave of internal resistance against the executive order suspending arrivals from seven predominantly Muslim countries. The state department has also been the main institutional backer of the Iran nuclear deal. |