Iran tested its longest-range missiles on Monday capping two days of war games meant to show the country is ready for any military threat at a time when it is under intense international pressure to fully disclose its nuclear activities. State television said the powerful Revolutionary Guard which controls Iran s missile programme successfully tested upgraded versions of the medium-range Shahab-3 and Sajjil missiles. Iran s Arabic language Al-Alam state TV on Monday aired pictures of Revolutionary Guards third round of missile drills in which Sajjil missile was test-fired. Both Shahab-3 and Sajjil missiles carry warheads and reach up to 1200 miles 2000 kilometres putting Israel US military bases in the Middle East and parts of Europe within striking distance. On the other hand there has been much speculation Israel might launch a military strike against Iran s nuclear sites as it did against an unfinished Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981. However Iran s Defence Minister General Ahmad Vahidi ruled out the possibility of an attack against Iran s nuclear facilities and said his country does not predict such a move. The only result of it would be the acceleration of the final breathes of the Zionist regime and its transient life which is already numbered will come to an end very soon Vahidi who is wanted over charges of involvement in the bombing of the Jewish centre in Buenos Aires that left 85 people dead told the media on Monday. The Sajjil-2 missile is Iran s most advanced two-stage surface-to-surface missile and is powered entirely by solid-fuel while the older Shahab-3 uses a combination of solid and liquid fuel in its most advanced form which is also known as the Qadr-F1. Solid fuel is seen as a technological breakthrough for any missile programme as solid fuel increases the accuracy of missiles in reaching targets. Earlier state media reported tests overnight of the Shahab-1 and Shahab-2 missiles with ranges of 185 miles 300 kilometres and 435 miles 700 kilometres respectively. That followed tests early Sunday of the short range Fateh Tondar and Zelzal missiles which have a range of 120 miles 193 kilometres 93 miles 150 kilometres and 130 miles 200 kilometres respectively. Iran s last known missile tests were in May when it fired its longest-range solid-fuel missile Sajjil-2. Tehran said the two-stage surface-to-surface missile has a range of about 1200 miles 1900 kilometres - capable of striking Israel US Mideast bases and southeastern Europe. The missile tests began on Sunday two days after the US and its allies disclosed that Iran had been secretly developing an underground uranium enrichment facility and warned the country it must open the site to international inspection or face harsher international sanctions. Earlier in the day Iran s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hasan Qashqavi said the missile tests had nothing to do with the tension over the site saying it was part of routine long-planned military exercises. The newly re

• published: 04 Nov 2013
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