Iran has announced the launch of a new missile production line, according to its state media,
against a backdrop of tension between the United States and Tehran.
The Sayyad 3 missile can reach an altitude of 27km and travel up to 120km, Iran’s Defence
Minister Hossein Dehghan said at an undisclosed location of an inauguration ceremony on Saturday.
The missile can target radar evasive fighter planes, unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles
and helicopters, he said.
Dehghan also said that the recent $110bn military deal between the US and Saudi Arabia was intended
as a threat to Iran.
“We recently witnessed an immense purchase that some countries in the region paid as
a ransom to America and they intend to bring weapons into the region, and this purchase
was done with the goal of threatening Islamic Iran,” Dehghan said according to the website
for state TV.Last week, the US imposed new economic sanctions on Iran over its ballistic
missile programme, and said Tehran’s “malign activities” in the Middle East undercut
any “positive contributions” coming from a 2015 Iran nuclear accord.
The measures signalled that the administration of US President Donald Trump was seeking to
put more pressure on Iran while keeping in place the agreement between Tehran and six
world powers to curb its nuclear programme in return for lifting international oil and
financial sanctions.
The US government said it was targeting 18 entities and people for supporting what it
said were “illicit Iranian actors or transnational criminal activity”.
Those sanctioned had backed Iran’s military or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps by
developing drones and military equipment, producing and maintaining boats, and procuring
electronic components, it said.
Others had “orchestrated the theft” of US and Western software programs sold to Iran’s
government, the Treasury Department said.
On Monday, the Trump administration said Iran was complying with the nuclear agreement but
that it was in default of the spirit of the accord.
It was the second time Trump has certified Iranian compliance with the agreement since
he took office in January, despite having described it as “the worst deal ever”
during his 2016 presidential campaign, criticising then-President Barack Obama, whose administration
negotiated the accord.
on August 21, 2020.
Iran Unveils Homegrown Ballistic, Cruise Missiles.
Iran has presented domestically-manufactured ballistic and cruise missiles amid US efforts
to extend an arms embargo on Iran.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Defense Minister, Brigadier-General Amir Hatami participated
in the unveiling ceremony of the ballistic missile, known as “Haj Qasem,” which is
named after Iran's late top general Qasem Soleimani and a cruise missile named “Abu
Mahdi” through video conference.
The presentation of both projectiles took place on the occasion of the country’s National
Defense Industry Day, on August 20.
The cruise missile bears the name of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an Iraqi military commander that
was assassinated along with General Qasem Soleimani and a number of their comrades in
a US drone raid near the Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.
“Haj Qasem” ballistic missile has a range of 1,400 kilometers and “Abu-Mahdi” cruise
missile has a range of 1,000 kilometers.
Iran has manufactured ballistic armament by improving the previous “Zolfaghar” missile
with solid fuel.
"Zolfoghar"'s 800-kilometer range was increased to 1,400 kilometers for "Haj Qasem" thanks
to the upgrade.
In the ceremony, the mass production line of its first indigenous turbojet engine, dubbed
Owj, has also launched.
This turbojet engine was unveiled in 2016.
Also, a light-weight fourth-generation turbofan engine that is used in advanced drones was
put on display.
The engine will remarkably boost the Iranian aviation power and upgrade the engine of drones
at least for one generation.
"Iranian defense industry, which is considered to be the fundamentals of military self-reliance
and is one of the main requirements of the country's authority, is now a mature one with
770 various product groups that can supply the demand of the Iranian Armed Forces in
wars," minister Hatami said.
Pointing to the inauguration of the production line of the domestically-manufactured Kowsar
fighter jet, Hatami said the country will soon deliver another three of the jets to
the country’s Air Force.
In late June, Iranian Navy Commander, Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi announced that the
country would soon start manufacturing a new class of supersonic cruise missiles, known
as Talaeey-e, to add to its current arsenal of subsonic weapons.
Iran's unveiling of the missiles defies US demands for the country to halt its missile
program, amid tensions are running high between
the two countries.