A TV grab taken from Iran's state television shows the
test firing of a new short-range missile. -Xinhua/AFP
The Iranian army yesterday tested a surface-to-surface short-range missile in
the ongoing military maneuvers, the state-run television reported.
The Iranian-made Saegheh (thunderbolt) missile, which has a range of 80-250
km, was test-fired on Sunday, one day after the army launched a series of
large-scale military maneuvers, the report said.
It also said the army would also test domestically developed surface-to-sea
missiles on Sunday.
The war games will last for about five weeks in 14 of 30 provinces.
Earlier reports said that 12 infantry regiments would participate in the
exercises dubbed "The Blow of Zolfaghar." Zolfaghar is the sword used by Imam
Ali, one of the most revered figures for Shiite Muslims.
The military exercise came when Tehran is facing heightened pressure as a UN
Security Council resolution urges Iran to halt uranium enrichment by Aug. 31.
In April, Iran launched a large-scale military exercise, the biggest in
years. During the exercise, Iran tested advanced weapons including missiles and
torpedoes.