In reaction to Iran’s unveiling of the Kheibar missile, Associated Press reported, “Iran unveiled on Thursday what it called the latest iteration of its liquid-fueled Khorramshahr ballistic missile amid wider tensions with the West over its nuclear program.”
It added, “Authorities showed off the Khorramshahr-4 to journalists at an event in Tehran, with the missile on a truck-mounted launcher.”
“The Khorramshahr has the heaviest payload of Iran’s ballistic missile fleet, which analysts say may be designed to keep the weapon under a 2,000-kilometer range limit imposed by the country’s supreme leader. That puts most of the Mideast in range, but falls short of Western Europe,” AP noted.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington was aware of the missile report and reiterated, “Iran’s development and proliferation of ballistic missiles pose a serious threat to regional and international security.”
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani said the missile is the result of years of Iranian scientists' endeavors in the Defense Ministry’s Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO), adding that the missile is equipped with radar-evading technology and can pass through the enemy’s air defense systems due to its low radar cross-section.
“We are taking steps to equip the armed forces in various areas of missiles, drones, air defense, and so on, and the unveilings will definitely continue in the future,” he said.
Kheibar’s outstanding features include quick preparation and launch time, which makes the missile a tactical weapon in addition to a strategic one.
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