Missiles designed to hit Israel from safe distance, says Iran
by Sam Wilkin and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin,
2016-03-09 09:59:42.0
DUBAI — Iran’s medium-range ballistic missiles are designed to be able to hit Israel, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ missile battery was quoted as saying on Wednesday as the Guards test-fired two missiles.
"The reason we designed our missiles with a range of 2,000km is to be able to hit our enemy the Zionist regime from a safe distance," Brig-Gen Amir Ali Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by the ISNA agency.
The launches, defying a threat of new sanctions from the US, followed the test firing of several missiles on Tuesday, which the US State Department said it would raise at the United Nations Security Council. The US legislature also said it would push for more unilateral sanctions.
Two months ago, Washington imposed sanctions against businesses and individuals linked to Iran’s missile programme over a test of the medium-range Emad missile carried out in October 2015.
The two Qadr H missiles fired from northern Iran on Wednesday hit targets in the southeast of the country 1,400km away, the agencies said.
"The missiles fired today are the results of sanctions. The sanctions helped Iran develop its missile programme," Brig-Gen Hossein Salami, deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards, was quoted as saying by Fars.
The Revolutionary Guards, a powerful force that reports directly to the supreme leader, is deeply suspicious of the US and its allies. It maintains dozens of short and medium-range ballistic missiles, the largest stock in the Middle East.
Washington fears those missiles could be used to carry a nuclear warhead, even after Iran implemented a nuclear deal with world powers in January that imposes strict limits and checks on its disputed nuclear programme.
Washington said the fresh missile tests would not violate Iran’s nuclear deal itself, under which Tehran would receive relief from economic sanctions. The deal was endorsed in resolution 2231.
Iran’s missile programme is subject to a UN Security Council resolution that calls on the Islamic Republic not to develop missiles designed to be capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Iran says its missiles are solely a conventional deterrent.
Reuters
A ballistic missile is launched and tested in an undisclosed location in Iran on Tuesday. Picture: REUTERS
DUBAI — Iran’s medium-range ballistic missiles are designed to be able to hit Israel, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ missile battery was quoted as saying on Wednesday as the Guards test-fired two missiles.
"The reason we designed our missiles with a range of 2,000km is to be able to hit our enemy the Zionist regime from a safe distance," Brig-Gen Amir Ali Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by the ISNA agency.
The launches, defying a threat of new sanctions from the US, followed the test firing of several missiles on Tuesday, which the US State Department said it would raise at the United Nations Security Council. The US legislature also said it would push for more unilateral sanctions.
Two months ago, Washington imposed sanctions against businesses and individuals linked to Iran’s missile programme over a test of the medium-range Emad missile carried out in October 2015.
The two Qadr H missiles fired from northern Iran on Wednesday hit targets in the southeast of the country 1,400km away, the agencies said.
"The missiles fired today are the results of sanctions. The sanctions helped Iran develop its missile programme," Brig-Gen Hossein Salami, deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards, was quoted as saying by Fars.
The Revolutionary Guards, a powerful force that reports directly to the supreme leader, is deeply suspicious of the US and its allies. It maintains dozens of short and medium-range ballistic missiles, the largest stock in the Middle East.
Washington fears those missiles could be used to carry a nuclear warhead, even after Iran implemented a nuclear deal with world powers in January that imposes strict limits and checks on its disputed nuclear programme.
Washington said the fresh missile tests would not violate Iran’s nuclear deal itself, under which Tehran would receive relief from economic sanctions. The deal was endorsed in resolution 2231.
Iran’s missile programme is subject to a UN Security Council resolution that calls on the Islamic Republic not to develop missiles designed to be capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Iran says its missiles are solely a conventional deterrent.
Reuters
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