Iran Has More to Show If Threatened

Source: Alalam.ir, 10-07-2008

TEHRAN--Iran's missile tests were to partially put on display the capabilities to counter any aggression on the Islamic republic, whose military prowess exceeds what was revealed Wednesday, a former defense minister said Thursday.

Speaking to Al-Alam, Hossein Alaee said that the maneuver, in which upgraded longer range Shahab-3 missiles were test-launched, "unveiled only part of Iran's military capabilities which long-range Shahab-3 and 9 were among them."

Iran's armed forces test fired the developed 2000-kilometer missile at (0430 GMT) with a conventional warhead weighing one ton in the maneuvers in the Persian Gulf aimed at improving combat readiness and capability of the missile and naval units.

"Shahab-3 has been tested in previous maneuvers but this time high accuracy and destruction power were tested which proved a major success," Alaee said.

Iranian engineers have successfully made military facilities despite Western-imposed sanctions since the Islamic revolution and they are able to do more if threatened, Alaee said and added that "the Islamic Republic has its own style of military equipments which will be unveiled if needed."

"This is a point which the ‘Israeli' regime must take into consideration before committing any foolish action," Iran's former top military official said on the Israeli threats against the Islamic Republic.

US officials and ‘Israeli' regime authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a military confrontation with the Iran over its refusal to abandon uranium enrichment activities, which Iran says wants for generating electricity.

'Israeli' threats came as over 100 ‘Israeli' F-16s and F-15s staging a maneuver over the eastern Mediterranean and Greece between May 28 and June 12.

In his comments, Alaee warned that, "The Zionist regime must know that all of its industrial and military bases are within the range of Iran's missiles."

Iran's former minister said, "The US may be able to target a few bases in Iran but Iran's answer would be a severe widespread response."

"Iran is defiant to any military action in the region and we believe that all problems can be solved peacefully and the maneuver was just a response to the US and Israeli military threats against our country."