This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
State media in Iran have reported the successful test of a new cruise missile with a range of 1,350 kilometers.
The February 2 test came as Iran was celebrating the 40th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution.
“The test of the Hoveizeh cruise missile was carried out successfully at a range of 1,200 kilometers and accurately hit the intended target,” Defense Minister Amir Hatami said on state television.
He also said the missile was manufactured entirely in Iran without foreign assistance.
One of the reasons that the United States gave for withdrawing from a landmark 2015 agreement that restricted Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief was that it did not prevent Iran from developing missiles that could threaten Israel.
UN Security Council Resolution 2231, adopted in 2015, “calls upon” Tehran to refrain from developing nuclear-capable missiles for a period of eight years.
Tehran says its missiles cannot carry nuclear warheads.
The test could not be independently verified, and Iran frequently overstates the capabilities of its weaponry.
