Iran tests new ballistic missile defying US threats

Iran said on Saturday that it had successfully tested a new medium-range missile in defiance of warnings from the US that it was ready to ditch a landmark nuclear deal over the issue.

State-run Press TV broadcast a footage of the launch of the Khoramshahr missile, which was first displayed at a high-profile military parade on Friday with President Hassan Rouhani and senior military officials in attendance.

The ballistic missile is capable of carrying multiple warheads, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Division, told the media on Friday.

"The missile has become smaller in size (compared to other Iranian ballistic missiles) and more tactical, and it will be operational in the near future," Hajizadeh said without further elaboration.

On Friday, the Iranian armed forces commemorated the 1980-1988 war with Iraq by holding a parade in which Iran's most advanced military power and abilities were showcased.

Iran also displayed other home-made advanced missiles, including ballistic missiles, which are reported to have ranges of 1,300 km to 2,000 km.

The video also contained telemetry camera footage from four different angles which, according to its caption, showed the moment when the warhead of the missile was discharged.

The ballistic missile, which is Iran's third type of missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers along with the Qadr-F and Sejjil ballistic missiles, is capable of carrying multiple warheads.

Iran has repeatedly insisted that its military capabilities are solely aimed for defense purposes and they pose no threat to other countries. Tehran has also been assisting its allies, including Iraq and Syria, in their ongoing fight against terrorism.

Washington has on several occasions slapped new sanctions against Iran over its missile programme.

The US claims that Iran's missile tests and rocket launches violate UN Resolution 2231, which was adopted in July 2015 to endorse the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.

Iran has strongly rejected the US allegations that it has violated the UN resolution, and insists that its missile tests and rocket launches are solely for defense purposes and not designed to carry nuclear warheads.

--IANS

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