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Iran unveils long-range missile as Vienna nuclear talks resume

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Abdus-Sattar Ghazali
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Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has unveiled a new ballistic missile with a range of 1,450 kilometers (900 miles), which enjoys high agility and is capable of striking its designated targets with pinpoint accuracy, Iran Press TV reported Wednesday.

Iran, which has one of the biggest missile programs in the Middle East, says its ballistic missiles have a range of up to 2,000 km (1,200 miles) and are capable of reaching its arch-foe Israel and U.S. bases in the region, Reuters said.

The missile, dubbed Khaybar Shekan, was put on display on Wednesday during a ceremony marking with celebrations in Iran commemorating the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the US-backed Pahlavi dynasty.

Its name "Khybar Shekan" (Khybar buster) missile refers to an ancient Jewish castle called Kheibar in Madina that was overrun by Muslim warriors in the 7th century.

Khaybar Shekan is among third-generation long-range missiles indigenously developed and manufactured by military experts at the IRGC's Aerospace Division, Iran Press TV said adding:

The new missile uses solid propellants and is said to be capable of penetrating into missile shields with high maneuverability during its landing stage.

The modern design of Khaybar Shekan has reduced its weight by a third in comparison with similar missiles, and the preparation time to launch the missile has apparently decreased to one-sixths compared to conventional projectiles. Moreover, the new ballistic missile enjoys considerable agility and high velocity when hitting its targets.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is consistently improving its missile capabilities to counter aggressors, oppressors, global arrogance as well as murderous Zionists," Chief of Staff of Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri, said during the ceremony, emphasizing that the Islamic Republic will continue the trend both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Bagheri also hailed the "dynamic" deterrent power of the Iranian Armed Forces, saying the country is expanding both its inventory of military hardware and human resources.

A Pentagon study has recently acknowledged Iran's missile power, saying its arsenal is larger than that of any other Middle Eastern country.

"Iran has an extensive missile development program, and the size and sophistication of its missile force continue to grow despite decades of counter-proliferation efforts aimed at curbing its advancement," it said.

Tehran regards its missile program as an important deterrent against the United States, Israel and other adversaries. It has rejected Western demands to halt its ballistic missile work, according to Reuters.

Despite decades of Washington-imposed sanctions, Iran has made great achievements in its ballistic missiles program.

Earlier in January Iran tested an engine for a solid-fuel rocket designed to launch satellites.

Last month, an American political analyst said Iran's missile program has disrupted the strategic military calculations of the United States in the Middle East, altering the balance of power in a region where Washington has long sought to maintain a military edge.

"The US fears Iran is upsetting the hitherto American-enforced regional balance of power whereby Washington and its allies were supposed to have a decisive military advantage over the Islamic Republic," Andrew Korybko, a Moscow-based American political commentator, told Press TV.

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Author and journalist. Author of Islamic Pakistan: Illusions & Reality; Islam in the Post-Cold War Era; Islam & Modernism; Islam & Muslims in the Post-9/11 America. American Muslims in Politics. Islam in the 21st Century: (more...)
 

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