Majlis Allocates $300 million to IRGC missile program

Mehr News Agency reports that Iran has allocated an extra $300 million to the IRGC's missile program.

Boroujerdi, while pointing to recent meetings of National Security and Foreign Policy Committee which have sought to prepare plan to counter America’s hostile actions, asserted “one main axis of the retaliatory plan is serious support of the country’s missile program as the only available means of confronting enemy threats.”

“As such, approximately 300 million dollars have been allocated to promote Iran’s missile program while a similar amount has been assigned to support Qods Force of IRGC, in the absence of whom, terrorists would be ruling in Damascus and Baghdad,” he underscored.

Chairman of the Majlis' Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, Alaeddin Boroujerdi

I think this allocation is a response to the recent Trump admin's more aggressive foreign policy stance. 

Clearly when Flynn put Iran "on notice", and when the Trump admin started sanctioning the Iranian missile program, it was a signal that Iran needs to re-evaluate US regional posture. 

And when the US sold the Saudis $110 billion worth of weapons, including advanced THAAD interceptors, it has become clear that Iran thought it needed to up its own defensive capability. While $300 million does seem dwarfed in comparison with the huge Saudi order, one must bear in mind that there have been other systems, like the Bavar-373, Karrar tank and various IRIA rifle programs that may augment Iran's conventional defensive capability.

We can only speculate what this $300 million allocation may go towards. It may be towards increased production of existing missiles (like the Zolfaqar which recently saw success in Syria). New missiles could be longer range AShBMs in the same style as the Persian Gulf missile, possibly using a Fateh-313 or Zolfaqar as a base.