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During the course of negotiations which culminated in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the corollary United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, Iran achieved a change in language with regard to its ballistic missile program. UN Security Council Resolution 1929 from 2010 declared that the Security Council decides that Iran shall not undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons whereas 2231 declared, Iran is called upon not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons. Iranian leaders say that the more recent wording does not technically ban ballistic missile work and, regardless, they deny they design missiles to carry nuclear weapons, fiercely defending the acceleration of Irans ballistic missile program.

A ballistic missile is launched and tested in an undisclosed location, Iran, March 9, 2016. REUTERS/Mahmood Hosseini

In the wake of the JCPOA, Iran has tested at least ten ballistic missiles. While most news coverage focuses on the increasing range of such missiles, the following excerpted article quoting the chief of staff of the armed forces, claims that Iran has also made great strides in accuracy since the time when Irans missile program was based on the notoriously inaccurate SCUDs. The Iranian claims about increasing accuracy may not simply be hyperbole: In March 2016, Iran test-fired two different types of Qadr ballistic missiles from the Alborz Mountains near the Caspian which, according to the Iranian Defense Ministry, successfully struck targets on Irans Makran Coast, on the Indian Ocean.

Improving Iranian missile accuracy may spur a further arms and missile race among Arab Gulf countries. While Israel might be concerned with such developments as well, Israeli anti-missile defenses can likely counter such threats regardless of their warheads accuracy. Regardless, growing Iranian missile accuracy reflects on the growing technical competence of Irans indigenous military industries and might also suggest that Western attempts to embargo high-technology and dual use goods may be falling short.

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Iran Claims Enhanced Missile Precision - American Enterprise Institute