A leading Israeli analyst, however, asserted that the Shihab-3 launched
on Wednesday was an older model with a range of 1,300 kilometers. The
analyst, former Israeli missile defense chief Uzi Rubin, said Teheran has
not yet test-fired the Shihab-3 model with a range of 2,000 kilometers.
"From what I saw, this is an old version of the Shihab-3, and contrary
to their claims, it is not capable of reaching 2,000 kilometers, rather
1,300 kilometers," Rubin, who monitors Iranian missile development, said.
"The 2,000-kilometer-range Shihab-3 missiles were tested to demonstrate
Iran's capability in hitting its enemies accurately at the early stages of
their probable attacks against the Islamic republic," the official Iranian
news agency, Irna, said.
Iran said the latest Shihab-3 contained a 1,000 kilogram warhead, large
enough to accommodate a nuclear weapon. The missile, fired on the third day
of the Great Prophet-3 exercise, was meant to mark a key element in Iran's
retaliatory strategy against Israel and the United States.
"Domestic and foreign political and military analysts believe that
Shihab-3 is able to reach targets in the occupied lands in case of the
Zionist regime's probable attacks against Iran's nuclear sites," Irna said.
The Iranian semi-official Fars news agency said the upgraded Shihab-3
contained a cluster warhead, which would enable the spread of multiple bombs
over a wide area. Fars said the missile was also equipped with an enhanced
navigation system as well as a link to a command and control headquarters.
Iranian television showed the Shihab-3 launch from an undisclosed desert
facility. It was the first reported Shihab-3 test in 2008.
Iranian officials said the Shihab-3 has been integrated into a missile
and rocket command and control system. They said the missiles includes the
Shihab-2, with a range of 700 kilometers, the Fajr-3 and -4, as well as
Zelzal. During the exercise, about a dozen missiles were reported to have
been fired.
On Thursday, Iranian state television said Teheran continued to fire
medium- and long-range missiles as part of the Great Prophet-3 exercise. The
television report said at least two of the Iranian missiles, launched
overnight, contained "special capabilities."
"The aim of these war games is to show we are ready to defend the
integrity of the Iranian nation," IRGC air force commander Maj. Gen. Hossein
Salami said. "Our missiles are ready for shooting at any place and any time,
quickly and accurately."