"U.S. backpedaling over sanctions related to Iran's ballistic missile program ... could send a dangerous signal, effectively inviting Tehran to test the boundaries of what violations it can get away with...
The measures were intended to show Washington's willingness to hold Tehran accountable for illicit conduct. Iran tested a new ballistic missile in October. A United Nations panel concluded in December that the Emad rocket was capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, a violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1929...
U.S. wavering in the face of such Iranian pushback opens the door to future violations.
This is particularly worrisome because once the nuclear deal is fully implemented, the U.N. Security Council ban on Iranian ballistic missile tests will be replaced by weaker language from Security Council Resolution 2231. That 'calls upon' Tehran not to undertake any ballistic missiles work designed to deliver nuclear weapons for as long as eight years...
By backing off sanctions over Iran's ballistic missile test–and fairly insignificant sanctions at that–the Obama administration has left the impression that, contrary to its repeated pledges, it may not enforce current sanctions or impose new ones should Tehran violate U.N. Security Council resolutions or the nuclear deal. Iran's actions to date make clear that its leaders will interpret such dithering as weakness, and an invitation to further test the boundaries of their international obligations."