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Thursday, July 10, 2008

U.S. and Israel differ on range of Iran missiles

NICOSIA — The official Iranian news agency reported the successful launch of an enhanced version of the Shihab-3 intermediate-range ballistic missile.

Iran, who has warned against any attack on its nuclear facilities, said the Shihab-3 was test-launched by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Wednesday during a major military exercise in the Gulf, Middle East Newsline reported. Iranian officials said the missile was more accurate and deadly than previous models of the Shihab-3, said to have a range of 2,000 kilometers.

In Washington, the Bush administration confirmed the Shihab-3 test. Senior officials said the missile launch marked an emerging long-range Iranian missile capability.

"The fact is, they've just tested a missile that has a pretty extended range," U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said.

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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."


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