Tehran’s navy has unveiled a new long-range weapon that can switch targets after being launched
Iranian schoolgirls view missiles displayed at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps aerospace park in Tehran. © Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Iranian navy has upgraded its firepower with the addition of domestically produced missiles that have a range of more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and can be redirected to other targets after being launched.
Navy chief Admiral Shahran Irani unveiled the new weapon on Sunday, calling it a “smart missile that can change targets mid-mission,” state-run media outlet IRNA reported. The so-called “Talaeiyeh” missile also can select a complex flight plan on the way to its target to achieve “surprise at the highest possible level and engage with the enemy,” he added.
The navy took delivery of another newly developed missile, called the “Nasir,” with similar “smart” capabilities and a range of more than 100 kilometers, as well as new reconnaissance helicopters, drones and tugboats. All of the weaponry was designed and produced domestically.
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The new missiles arrived amid escalating tensions between Iran and the US over the Israel-Hamas war. On Saturday, US officials accused Iran of being “deeply involved” in attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial vessels in the Red Sea – an allegation that Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri denied. The Pentagon claimed on Sunday that Tehran had orchestrated a drone attack on a Japanese-owned chemical tanker in the Indian Ocean.
Tehran’s new military hardware was delivered to a naval base in Konarak, a port city on the Gulf of Chabahar in southern Iran. Both of the new missiles can be launched from warships. Irani said the Nasir would be installed on a fixed missile launcher in Konarak port.
Iran boasts one of the world’s most advanced missile programs, and it’s one of the leading developers of attack drones. The country unveiled the Khorramshahr-4, a missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers, in May. Defense Minister Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani said the Khorramshahr-4 could carry warheads weighing up to 3,300 pounds and penetrate enemy air defense systems by evading radar detection.
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Iranian Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi warned on Saturday that the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar and other key waterways could be closed to shipping traffic if the US and Israel continued to commit “crimes” against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
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