Iranian Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Mehdi Farahi said that the “Kheibar” ballistic missile can hit targets with a margin of error below 30 meters, adding that the 2,000km-range missile enjoys high technology to penetrate enemies’ air defense systems.
Iran on Thursday successfully test-launched its most advanced Khorramshahr-class ballistic missile dubbed “Kheibar”, a liquid-fueled missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers and a warhead weighing 1,500 kilograms with impressive strategic and tactical capabilities.
Brig. Gen. Farahi said in an IRIB TV program on Friday that Tehran has the technical know-how to increase the range of its missiles to over 2,000 km.
He stated that the precision-guided Kheibar (Khorramshahr 4) missile can hit targets with a margin of error of minus 30 meters at a distance of 2,000 km, adding that it could be prepared for launch in less than 15 minutes.
“The interval between the launch of the missile and the strike is around 12 minutes,” the duputy defense minister continued.
The Military official stressed that countering the projectile is an almost impossible task for advanced defense shields.
The showcasing of the advanced projectile marks a eye-catching advancement in Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities as well as Tehran’s firm determination to enhance its deterrent power.
Washington has released a statement following the successful launch, claiming that “Iran’s development and proliferation of ballistic missiles poses a serious threat to regional and international security”.
Iran slammed the US reaction over unveiling the new medium-range precision-guided ballistic missile, saying Washington and its European allies are opposed to the enhancement of Tehran’s “defensive power.”
“The same Western governments, especially the US and France, that played a big role in provoking and arming Saddam’s Baathist regime to attack Iran and showering Iranian cities and people with missiles, those are the main suppliers of weapons to the region, are now worried about Iran’s defensive power,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson wrote on Twitter.
“They are against a powerful Iran,” he stressed.
Western countries claim that Iran’s missile tests and rocket launches violate UN Resolution 2231, adopted in July 2015 to endorse the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.
Iran has strongly rejected the US allegations that it has violated the UN resolution, insisting that its missile tests and rocket launches are solely for defense purposes and not designed to carry nuclear warheads.
The Islamic Republic’s military doctrine holds that the country’s armed capability solely serves defensive purposes.
Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made substantial headway in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the weaponry sphere.
Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed that the country will not hesitate to boost its military capabilities, including its missile and drone power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran’s defense capabilities will never be subject to negotiation.
