In recent weeks, North Korea has attempted to show off its supposed military strength by conducting numerous missile tests, which have failed. The regime’s leader Kim Jong Un has repeatedly threatened to attack the United States, Japan, and South Korea, and has developed a nuclear weapon that could be used at any time.
While the United States and the rest of the international community are forced to deal with North Korea’s continued acts of aggression, another major adversary of the United States has become increasingly belligerent in recent days.
#Iran attempts submarine cruise #missile launch in the Strait of Hormuz, test fails – US https://t.co/QbJeJfUALq
— RT (@RT_com) May 4, 2017
From Fox News:
Iran attempted to launch a cruise missile from a submarine in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday but the test failed, two U.S. officials told Fox News.
An Iranian Yono-class “midget” submarine conducted the missile launch. North Korea and Iran are the only two countries in the world that operate this type of submarine.
In February, Iran claimed to have successfully tested a submarine-launched missile. It was not immediately clear if Tuesday’s test was the first time Iran had attempted to launch a missile underwater from a submarine.
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The USS Mahan “made several attempts to contact the Iranian vessel by bridge-to-bridge radio, issuing warning messages and twice sounding the internationally recognized danger signal of five short blasts with the ship’s whistle, as well as deploying a flare to determine the Iranian vessel’s intentions.”
Here’s video of a report from Fox News:
The White House has yet to respond to the Iranian missile launch, but given how it has strongly opposed similar tests by North Korea, it would be expected that we would condemn such actions. In recent months, Iran has stepped up its military action, increasing its military budget by 145%.
This latest provocation by Iran should provide the United States with even more justification to rip up the disastrous Iranian nuclear deal negotiated by President Obama. Iran’s refusal to behave as a responsible actor on the global stage is extremely concerning, and the United States should not take this missile test lightly.
How should President Trump respond to this Iranian missile test? Share your thoughts below!