TEHRAN —
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Wednesday announced the development
of a surface-to-surface missile whose stated range would put arch foe Israel
within reach.
اضافة اعلان
The Guards’
Sepahnews website said the missile was named the Khaybarchekan after a
victorious battle fought by the
Prophet Mohammed in the seventh century.
Armed forces chief
of staff Mohammad Bagheri described it as a strategic, “long-range” missile.
The Guards’
Sepahnews website said the missile has a range of 1,450km, runs on solid fuel,
and is capable of penetrating anti-missile systems.
It was unveiled
during a visit to a surface-to-surface missile base of the Guards’ air force,
with the chief of the aerospace department Amirali Hajizadeh present.
“Its
maneuverability and extreme speed allow it to reach targets within a radius of
1,450km,” the website said.
Iran has the
largest arsenal of missiles in the Middle East.
On December 24,
the Islamic republic fired 16 ballistic missiles to conclude military drills
described by generals as a warning to Israel.
Israel is located
little more than 1,000km from Iran’s western frontier.
Bagheri said on
Monday that Iran was “self-sufficient in terms of military equipment”, noting
it could become one of the world’s largest arms exporters if US sanctions were
lifted.
The
International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) says Iran has about 20 types of
ballistic missiles as well as cruise missiles and drones.
Their capabilities
vary, with the Qiam-1 having a range of 800km and the Ghadr-1 able to reach
1,800km.
The IISS, a London-based
think tank, says Iran’s current priority is to increase the accuracy of its
missiles.
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