Iran Tests Missile Despite Trump Pressure
Iran says it has successfully tested a new-medium range missile, in defiance of US President Donald Trump.
The launch of the Khoramshahr missile, which has a range of 2,000 km (1,242 miles), was shown on state TV. It is unclear when the test took place.
At the UN on Tuesday, Mr Trump criticised Iran’s missile programme and the 2015 nuclear deal with the country.
On Friday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran would increase its military power “as a deterrent”.
The Khoramshahr missile was first displayed at a military parade on Friday in Tehran. It is capable of carrying multiple warheads, Iranian media report.
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Iran’s Defence Minister, Gen Amir Hatami, outlined the missile’s “unique specifications”.
“The ability to evade the enemy’s air defence line and to be guided from the moment of launch until the target is hit turns Khoramshahr into a tactical missile,” he said.
Iran would “not seek permission from any country for producing various kinds of missile”, he added.
A message to Trump
By Kasra Naji, Special Correspondent, BBC Persian
By test-firing a new missile, Iran is sending another signal of defiance taken straight from the North Korean textbook.
The missile test is arguably a borderline case as far as the UN Security Council is concerned. A resolution calls on Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons.
The test comes ahead of two significant dates in the US:
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The Trump administration is due to announce the details of its strategy vis-à-vis Iran around the end of September
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On 15 October, Mr Trump will have to certify to Congress that Iran is compliant with the nuclear deal it reached with world powers in 2015. If Mr Trump refuses to certify compliance, Congress will have 60 days to re-impose sanctions on Iran