The source of increased funding for Iran's missile development and regional anti-terror operations required under a parliamentary bill has been kept secret on security grounds, a lawmaker said.
Following the passage of the motion to "counter America's terrorist and adventurist actions" last week, a number of parliamentarians called for the funding source to be revealed.
"Some lawmakers have invoked Article 75 of the constitution to support their complaint about the financing of the bill. The funding sources cannot be identified over security concerns," Mohammad Jamali said in an interview with ICANA on Friday.
Under Article 75, any legislation that is to be funded from the national budget or involves the loss of national income needs to specify the required sources to offset the cost it inflicts.
"The anti-US measure does not impose a financial burden because the government has committed to provide the required funds," he said.
Jamali noted that both the government and the Guardians Council, a body that vets any legislation before becoming law, have been privy to the finance source.
The Majlis bill is meant as a retaliatory response to US support for terrorists and human rights violators, as well as actions to undermine Iran's "vital" security and economic interests.
It allocates 10,000 billion rials ($262 million) to the General Staff of the Armed Forces for boosting Iran's missile work.
The same amount is to be equally shared by foreign, intelligence and defense ministries for carrying out tasks delegated by the bill, including a probe into US actions in the region.
Another 10,000 billion rials have been earmarked for the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps' Quds Force, which is responsible for overseas operations, to increase its anti-terror campaigns in the region.
The bill gives the Foreign Ministry three months to prepare a black list of American officials and citizens who played a role in spreading terrorism in the region and assisted the breach of human rights.
Those included in the black list are subject to assets forfeiture and banned from traveling to Iran.
The proposal targets those involved in financing, training and equipping terrorist elements operating in the region, including members of the self-styled Islamic State and Al-Qaeda affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist groups, and those who support the terrorist Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization and Israeli state-sponsorship of terrorism.
The measure also targets Americans assisting the violation of rights of Muslims and black people, those who support acts of repressive governments in the Middle East and those behind US atrocities during its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It also assigns Iran's Foreign Ministry and several other state bodies with the task of drawing up a comprehensive plan to counter US threats against Iran within six months.
The bill comes in response to legislation passed by the US Congress late last month and signed into law by US President Donald Trump on August 2 to impose sanctions over Iran's ballistic missile program and its alleged support for terrorism and human rights abuses.
