Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Iran's Defense minister: Iran's missile development not a threat

Iran's Defense minister: Iran's missile development not a threat (NSI News Source Info) TEHRAN - November 18, 2008: Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar on Monday dismissed concerns over Iran's missile development and said it was not a threat, Iran's satellite Press TV reported. Najjar rejected the U.S. claims over Iran's advancing missile might, saying that "military developments (of Iran) are only intended to ensure regional security." His remarks came following a White House's warning statement against Iran after the launch of Sejjil, Iran's newly-developed missile. On Wednesday, the United States denounced Iran's test of a generation missile, saying the development of ballistic missiles could be used as a delivery vehicle for nuclear weapon. "Iran's development of ballistic missiles is contrary to United Nations Security Council resolutions and completely inconsistent with Iran's obligations to the world," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in a statement. On Wednesday morning, Iran successfully test-fired a new generation of surface-to-surface missile with "an extraordinary high capability," according to state television. Najjar said then that the new missile, named Sejjil, was a high-speed type and has a range of about 1,200 miles (2,000 km), which is similar to that of Iran's Shahab-3 missile. Iran has test-fired its Shahab-3 missiles capable of hitting targets within a range of 2,000 km, repeatedly vowing that its missile capabilities are "a defensive tool against invasions." A missile in Iran with a range of 2,000 km could easily hit U.S. bases in the Middle East, Israel and even southern Europe. The new missile Sejjil burns combined solid fuel, which makes it more accurate than liquid fuel missiles. "The two-stage missile uses combined solid fuel and has a high launching speed," IRNA quoted Najjar as saying on Wednesday. Sejjil, which means "clay stone," is a reference to a story in the Koran in which God's birds use clay stones to fight against enemy troops riding elephants.

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