Iran Test Fires 2 Long Range Missiles as War Games Enter 2nd Day

Iran Test Fires 2 Long Range Missiles as War Games Enter 2nd Day


28/09/2009 Iran on Monday test-fired its two long-range missiles, as the Revolutionary Guards staged war games for the second straight day. On Sunday, the Guards launched the missile maneuvers marking "Sacred Defense" week, which commemorates the start of the eight-year Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.

Guards' air force commander Hossein Salami said the force test-fired on Monday the Sejil and Shahab-3 versions of the long-range missiles. "An improved version of Shahab-3 and the two-stage Sejil, powered by solid fuel, were fired," Salami was quoted as saying by state-owned Arabic language Al-Alam television channel. Iran's Fars news agency said Sejil was test-fired for the first time during missile maneuvers.

Iran's English language Press TV channel broadcast footage of Shahab-3 lifting off in a thick ball of fire from desert terrain. Iran says both missiles have a range of around 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles). On Sunday, the Guards fired several short- and medium-range missiles, some with multiple warheads, state media reported.

The medium-range Shahab-1 and Shahab-2, with a range of between 300 kilometers and 700 kilometers, were successfully launched, Salami said. "The missiles shot have precisely hit the targets," he said. Earlier, the Guards test-fired three types of short-range missiles -- the Tondar-69, Fateh-110 and Zelzal. All three weapons, powered by solid fuel, have a range of between 100 and 400 kilometers.

On Monday, Salami issued a stern warning to Iran's foes. "Our response will be strong and destructive to those who threaten the existence, independence, freedom and values of our regime. They will regret it," the official IRNA news agency quoted him as saying. He said the missile exercise was aimed at practicing for "long wars, moving the missile installations from one point to another as well as simultaneous and non-simultaneous shots at convergent and divergent targets." On Sunday, Salami dismissed Israel as a potential threat, saying "that regime is not in a position that we need to comment about threats from it."