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Thursday, July 10, 2008

Iran test-fires more missiles

Iranian media say Thursday's test-fire of missiles was a continuation of exercises that began Wednesday, above.
Iran test-fired more missiles overnight, Iranian news media reported Thursday, one day after it tested a long-range Shahab-3 and other missiles in the Persian Gulf region.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said that the missiles involved were medium and long-range.

The Iranian news agency Fars said the launches, near the Persian Gulf, were a continuation of Wednesday's maneuvers and that the missiles hit their targets successfully.

The test came only hours after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States is determined to prevent Iran from threatening its interests or those of its allies.

At a news conference in the Georgian capital of Tblisi, Rice said the United States has been working with allies to "make certain that they are capable of defending themselves" against any threat from Iran.

"We take very strongly our obligation to help our allies defend themselves and no one should be confused about that," Rice said.

She said a missile defense shield the United States hopes to create in Eastern Europe would be another way to head off any threat from Iran.

"These are all elements of America's intention and determination to prevent Iran from threatening our interests or the interests of our friends and allies, and I don't think the Iranians are too confused, either, about the capability and the power of the United States to do exactly that," she said.

The forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had test-fired a Shahab-3 missile and several others during war games in the Persian Gulf, an Iranian commander said Wednesday.

The Shahab-3 has a range of about 2,000 km, putting all of Israel, Turkey, Pakistan and the Arabian peninsula within striking distance. From Iran the missile's reach extends from southern Russia to the Horn of Africa, from south-eastern Europe to Nepal.

The Iranian exercises came a month after Israel conducted a military drill in the eastern Mediterranean involving dozens of warplanes and aerial tanks.

Iran and Israel have been engaged in an escalating war of words: Iran has accused Israel of trying to destabilize the republic, while Israel has not ruled out military action to halt Iran's nuclear aspirations.

Iran's missile tests prompted condemnation from the United States and Israel. It is believed the longer-range Shahab-4 missile, when finished, would have the capability to hit parts of Europe, a U.S. intelligence official said.

Rice encouraged Iran to "get on the right side of the international community" by accepting a package of incentives put forward by China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States -- the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- as well as Germany.

Iran "ought to be talking about that, not about threats against America or threats against America's allies because frankly it's not going to do them any good."

Meanwhile Israel was due Thursday to display an advanced aircraft that is capable of spying on Iran. Israel's Army Radio told CNN that the Eitam airplane is a "practical answer" to recent Iranian "threats."

But Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) -- which manufactures aircraft for both military and civilian use -- said the plane exhibit is not connected to Israel's recent "tensions" with Iran.

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Rather, the airplane is being shown near Ben Gurion International Airport, southeast of Tel Aviv, because it will be at the prestigious Farnborough International Air Show in southern England next week, an IAI spokeswoman said.

The plane, a Gulfstream G550 business jet that has been modified with sophisticated intelligence-gathering systems, was unveiled last year and is already part of the Israeli Air Force's fleet.

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