Iran can build longer-range missiles: commander
Source: Agencies |
June 29, 2011, Wednesday
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A SENIOR Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander claimed yesterday that his country has the ability to produce missiles with an even greater range than those currently in its arsenal.
But Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Guard's Aerospace Force, stressed that Tehran will not manufacture such missiles because Israel and US bases in the Gulf are already within reach.
The remarks came as Iran conducted a second day of military maneuvers, part of 10 days of war games that are the country's latest show of force amid a standoff with the West over its nuclear program.
Hajizadeh said Tehran's arsenal already boasts missiles with a range of about 2,000 kilometers that were specifically designed for Israel and US targets. The two missiles in Iran's possession that have such a range are the Shahab-3 and the Sajjil.
"There is no threat from any country to us other than the US and the Zionist regime," Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by the semiofficial Fars news agency. "The range of our missiles has been designed on the basis of the distance to the Zionist regime and the US bases in the Persian Gulf region."
Hajizadeh said Iran "possesses the technology" to manufacture missiles with a range greater than 2,000 kilometers, but said "we have no intention to produce such missiles."
In Israel, Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor denounced Hajizadeh's remarks.
"This new Iranian bragging demonstrates once again the aggressive policies of the ayatollahs' regime," Palmor said. "But this renewed threat makes it obvious why Iran is the No. 1 threat to this whole region and beyond."
But Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Guard's Aerospace Force, stressed that Tehran will not manufacture such missiles because Israel and US bases in the Gulf are already within reach.
The remarks came as Iran conducted a second day of military maneuvers, part of 10 days of war games that are the country's latest show of force amid a standoff with the West over its nuclear program.
Hajizadeh said Tehran's arsenal already boasts missiles with a range of about 2,000 kilometers that were specifically designed for Israel and US targets. The two missiles in Iran's possession that have such a range are the Shahab-3 and the Sajjil.
"There is no threat from any country to us other than the US and the Zionist regime," Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by the semiofficial Fars news agency. "The range of our missiles has been designed on the basis of the distance to the Zionist regime and the US bases in the Persian Gulf region."
Hajizadeh said Iran "possesses the technology" to manufacture missiles with a range greater than 2,000 kilometers, but said "we have no intention to produce such missiles."
In Israel, Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor denounced Hajizadeh's remarks.
"This new Iranian bragging demonstrates once again the aggressive policies of the ayatollahs' regime," Palmor said. "But this renewed threat makes it obvious why Iran is the No. 1 threat to this whole region and beyond."
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