Special to WorldTribune.com

NICOSIA — Iran has reported the deployment of its indigenous cruise
missile.

Officials said the Iranian Navy received its first shipment of the Zafar
cruise missile. They said Zafar, which underwent production in February
2012, would represent a critical asset for the conventional navy and Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Western defense analysts said Qader and Zafar were believed to be
variants of the Chinese-origin C-802 anti-ship missile. Iran has supplied
variants of C-802 to its proxy Hizbullah as well as Syria.

“Producing and arming the Navy with torpedoes and different types of
coast-to-sea missiles are among the latest achievements of the Navy,”
Iranian Navy commander Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayari said.

In a briefing on April 17, Sayari did not provide details of Zafar.
Zafar marked the second cruise missile introduced by the Navy since October 2011. The first missile was Qader, was reported to have a range of 200 kilometers.

“Different types of radars and surface vessels and submarines have been designed and manufactures in the navy and will be supplied to the force this year,” Sayari said.

Officials said the first batch of Zafar missiles was delivered to IRGC’s
Navy, which contains hundreds of fast attack craft. IRGC has been assigned
responsibility for naval operations throughout the Gulf.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has begun operations of its new
Tondar-class missile boat. Tondar was delivered to the IRGC Navy on April 21
in a move meant to enhance Iran’s capabilities in the region.

“Considering the importance of the Persian Gulf, particularly its
northern and central areas, and the existence of valuable oil and gas
resources, the defense capabilities to safeguard such resources should be
enhanced to a satisfactory level,” IRGC Rear Adm. Seifollah Bakhtiarvand
said.

IRGC, with at least 500 fast attack craft, has been responsible for
Iranian naval operations in the Gulf. The Navy said Tondar marked the latest
in a series of indigenous Iranian attack craft.

“We have always declared that the might and capabilities of the Islamic
republic of Iran are at the service of peace and cooperation with the
regional Muslim countries,” Bakhtiarvand said.

In 2010, Iran launched production of the Seraj and Zolfaqar FACs.
Officials said Tondar was a similar platform, but did not elaborate.

  Iran Navy hails Zafar cruise missile, IRGC Navy fast attack craft, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Persian Gulf, Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayari, said to be variant of China’s anti-ship C-802