Iran flexes missile muscle – test fires new long range Shahab-3
09 Jul 2008
Iran test-fired nine long and medium-range missiles, including the new Shahab-3 missile, which it has said previously can travel a distance of 2,000 km or as far as Israel and some United States military bases in the region. The tests come at a time of increased tension between Iran and Israel over a disputed Iranian nuclear programme.
In a long running argument the West has persistently claimed that Iran's nuclear programme is aimed at making nuclear weapons even as Iran has insisted that it has a peaceful intent.
The test firings take place just a day after an aide to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that his country would "set fire" to Israel and US Navy bases in the Gulf in response to any attack on its nuclear facilities.
"The first US shot on Iran would set the United States' vital interests in the world on fire," said Ali Shirazi, a mid-ranking cleric.
The Israeli Air Force had only recently conducted a massive exercise aimed at demonstrating that it could target all kinds of air defences in the region, including Iranian.
In all nine missiles were tested, state-run English language channel Press-TV said. Apart from the Shahab-3, these included the Zelzal, with a range of 400km and the Fateh, with a range of around 170km.
The location of the tests was not disclosed.
"This a show of Iran's military muscle in the region in the face of threats from countries who said they would target Iran's nuclear facilities," the Press-TV announcer said.
