Iran ‘launches advanced missile’ - 2,000km range likely to rouse more concern in west

Iran ‘launches advanced missile’ - 2,000km range likely to rouse more concern in west
© Reuters Limited
May 20, 2009
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3fe7fd4e-451c-11de-b6c8-00144feabdc0.html


TEHRAN, May 20 - Iran successfully launched a surface-to-surface missile with a range of about 2,000 km (1,250 miles) on Wednesday, the official IRNA news agency reported.

”The Sejil 2 missile, which has an advanced technology, was launched today...and it landed exactly on the target,” President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad said during a visit to the northern Semnan province, where IRNA said the launch took place.

A range of 2,000 km would be almost as far as another Iranian missile, Shahab 3, and would enable it to reach Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf. The announcement is likely to rouse further concern in the West about Iran’s military ambitions.

The United States and its allies suspect the Islamic Republic is seeking to build nuclear bombs. Tehran denies the charge. Iran said in November it test fired a Sejil missile, describing it as a new generation of surface-to-surface missile.

Tehran said it was ready to defend itself against any attacker. Washington said at the time that the test highlighted the need for a missile defence system it plans to base in Poland and the Czech Republic to counter threats from what it calls ”rogue states”.