In the year since the nuclear deal between Iran and the West, the Iranian regime has been able to improve its cyber warfare capabilities and has made significant progress in developing more advanced ballistic missiles, the Pentagon said in its annual classified report to Congress this week, parts of which were made public Thursday. According to the report, Iran has "a substantial inventory of missiles capable of reaching targets throughout the region, including U.S. military bases and Israel." Iran, the report said, has not stopped trying to increase its hold on strategic places in the region, such as the Strait of Hormuz, while the Revolutionary Guard Corps has continued to develop its ability to "support and carry out" terrorist attacks. The Pentagon's report mentioned the nuclear agreement but offered no assessment of Iran's compliance with it. However the report said that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "still holds deep suspicions in regards to the intentions of the United States." The annual report is mandated by Congress as part of its mechanism of oversight on the nuclear deal and its enforcement. The full report, which includes classified details, was submitted May 31 to congressional defense committees. As a reminder, U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231, which codified the nuclear deal, calls on Iran "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 resolution also says that Iran must abide by previous Security Council resolutions, which placed restrictions on ballistic missile work until 2023. But Iran has conducted several provocative ballistic missile tests since the agreement was reached, most recently last month. Despite that, last week U.S. President Barack Obama boasted of the deal's success, saying it has "worked as expected."
