GPS News  
MISSILE NEWS
Iran tests more missiles in defiance of US warning
By Ali Noorani
Tehran (AFP) March 10, 2016


Iran fired two more long-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday as it continued military tests in defiance of US sanctions and fresh warnings from Washington.

The missile tests, described by Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards as a show of force in the face of US pressure, come just weeks after the implementation of Iran's historic nuclear deal with world powers.

After similar tests on Tuesday, Washington had warned it could raise the issue with the UN Security Council and take further action after US sanctions were imposed in connection with Iran's missile programme in January.

US Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the United States would take action against Iran if the missile tests were confirmed.

"All their conventional activity outside the (nuclear) deal, which is still beyond the deal, we will and are attempting to act wherever we can find it," Biden said during a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

He said Washington was also ready to act if Iran breaks the nuclear agreement.

The hard-fought deal, which saw international sanctions lifted in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear ambitions, did not extend to its missile programme.

Wednesday's tests saw two Qadr-H and Qadr-F precision missiles fired from launcher trucks tucked in the Alborz mountain range in northern Iran, hitting targets about 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) away in the southeastern Makran area, the Guards said.

"Our enemies have come to understand that increasing security pressures and sanctions will not affect the enhancement of our capabilities so they seek to limit us in the missile arena through imposing economic sanctions," said Guards chief Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari.

"Enemies of the Islamic revolution and regional security must fear the roar of the Guards' missiles," he added, quoted by the Guards' official website.

The Guards' deputy head General Hossein Salami said the missile tests were to demonstrate Iran's "defence and deterrent power".

"We have massive stockpiles of ballistic missiles waiting for orders and ready to hit targets at any moment from various points across the country," Salami said.

Ballistic missile tests have been seen as a way for Iran's military to demonstrate that the nuclear deal will have no impact on its plans, which it says are for domestic defence only.

- US will 'counter threats' -

Previous UN resolutions have aimed at stopping Tehran from developing missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, although Tehran has always denied seeking the capability.

The US sanctions imposed in January saw five Iranians and a network of companies based in the United Arab Emirates and China added to an American blacklist.

US Secretary of State John Kerry called his Iranian opposite number Mohammad Javad Zarif Wednesday to protest the latest tests. The pair had built up a close working relationship during negotiations for last year's nuclear accord.

US State Department spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday that if the latest missile tests were confirmed "then we'll have every intention of raising the matter to the UN Security Council".

Kirby warned that the United States could take unilateral action "to counter threats from Iran's missile programme".

This week's series of tests have included short-, medium- and long-range precision guided missiles with ranges of between 300 and 2,000 kilometres, state media reported.

"The reason we have designed these missiles with such a range -- 2,000 kilometres -- is to be able to hit our remote enemies, the Zionist regime," said General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who heads the Revolutionary Guards' aerospace wing, referring to Israel.

"But there is no need to fire missiles to destroy the Zionist regime as it will gradually collapse. Our main enemy is the US," he said.

News agencies Fars and Tasnim, both close to the Guards, said the phrase "Israel must be wiped off the face of Earth" was inscribed in Hebrew on the missiles, recalling a quote by the late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

However, no writing was visible on the missiles shown in video footage or pictures published by local media.

Israel's foreign ministry "strongly condemned" the tests in a statement released Wednesday.

President Hassan Rouhani, a cleric close to moderates, pursued the nuclear deal in a bid to end Iran's international isolation.

Less than two weeks ago, his moderate and reformist allies scored key gains against conservatives and hardliners in elections.

But the Revolutionary Guards report to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, not Rouhani, and their influence dwarfs that of the army and other armed forces.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
MISSILE NEWS
Navy exercises $270M option for more SM-6 missiles
Tucson (UPI) Mar 8, 2016
The U.S. Navy has exercised a $270 million contract option with Raytheon for production of Standard-6 missiles and spares requirements. The Standard-6 has been deployed since 2013, with Raytheon delivering more that 250 of the missiles since then. "U.S. Navy commanders want both capability and flexibility to meet a wide variety of missions, and that's exactly what SM-6 offers," s ... read more


MISSILE NEWS
South Africa says drought cost farmers $1 billion

Urgent need to transform key food producing regions in Africa by 2025

Impact of climate change on agriculture may be underestimated

Recoupling crops and livestock offers energy savings to dairy farmers

MISSILE NEWS
Demystifying mechanotransduction ion channels

Quantum dot solids: This generation's silicon wafer

World's first parallel computer based on biomolecular motors

Topological insulators: Magnetism is not causing loss of conductivity

MISSILE NEWS
Perlan II stratospheric glider pressurized test flights begin

DARPA Announces VTOL X-Plane Phase 2 Design

NASA balloon team aiming to break flight duration record

US case filed against Boeing over MH370 disappearance

MISSILE NEWS
VW says wrongfooted by US going public on emissions

China's Geely mulls making, selling cars in Europe

German, French prosecutors widen net in VW emissions probe

Scandal-hit VW gives new dates for 2015 results, shareholders' meet

MISSILE NEWS
China exports slump more than a quarter in February: Customs

Australian miner Fortescue to team up with Brazil's Vale

New bank another BRICS in Beijing's diplomatic wall

Turkey suspends contested gold mine project after protests

MISSILE NEWS
US joins Honduran probe of environmentalist's murder

Thousands attend funeral of slain Honduran environmentalist

Honduran environmentalist murdered: family

Green groups urge DR Congo to keep forest moratorium

MISSILE NEWS
First views of Earth from Sentinel-3A

Sentinel-3A rides the waves

The ancient rotation of the Iberian Peninsula left a magnetic trace

Nonstop LEOP full stop

MISSILE NEWS
Thermal measurements with nanometer resolution

Physicists promise a copper revolution in nanophotonics

Stretchable nano-devices towards smart contact lenses

New ways to construct contactless magnetic gears









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.