Where’s the Coverage of Iran’s Military Buildup?
In a widely underreported event, Iranian lawmakers voted on Jan. 9, 2017 to expand military spending.
Citing Iranian Tasnim news, Reuters noted that the Islamic Consultative Assmbly, also known as the Majils, voted to increase military spending to five percent of the total budget. Iran had previously allocated slightly less than two percent of its 2015-16 budget for military expenditures.
In its report, Reuters described the vote as a “boost to Iran’s military establishment (“Iran to expand military spending, develop missiles,” Jan. 9, 2017).” The increase is part of a growth plan for 2016-2021 that was announced Iran’s Supreme Ruler, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in July 2015. That plan calls for developing long range missiles, armed drones and cyber-war potential.
One hundred seventy-three Majils members voted in favor of the increase. Only ten cast votes against the buildup.
Many U.S. news outlets failed to report the vote, despite Iran being a frequent news topic. A Lexis-Nexis search of major print media, including The Washington Post, USA Today and The Baltimore Sun, among others, turned up not a single mention of the vote.
The lack of coverage is puzzling. The day before the vote, four Iranian vessels aggressively approached an American navy ship in the Strait of Hormuz—prompting the US Navy to fire warning shots. That event, reported by The Washington Post and others, received only a few sentence brief in USA Today and The Sun. As CAMERA has noted, Iran has previously threatened U.S. ships and personnel, although the media has often failed to cover such occurrences.
Reuters also highlighted that in a recent U.N. Security Council report, the organization’s departing Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, “expressed concern that Iran may have violated” a U.N. arms embargo “by supplying weapons and missiles to Hezbollah.” Hezbollah is a Lebanese-based, Iranian-backed Shi’ite terrorist group that calls for Israel’s destruction.
Iran itself has frequently pledged to destroy the Jewish state. As it arms itself and its proxies, it’s worth asking: Where’s the coverage?
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