Iran tests more missiles ‘capable of reaching Israel’

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) test-fired two ballistic missiles on Wednesday (March 9) morning that it said were designed to be able to hit Israel, defying a threat of new sanctions from the United States.

The launches followed the test-firing of several missiles on Tuesday (March 8) as part of a major military exercise that the IRGC says is intended to “show Iran’s deterrent power and… ability to confront any threat”.

“Naturally, the more that we are pressured and face sanctions from the direction of our enemies, the more we will have to rely on our own resources to counter these threats and this is one such response by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and other support units and we will be more self reliant and will increase our capabilities with every passing day,” Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said.

On Wednesday the IRGC fired two Qadr missiles from northern Iran which hit targets in the southeast of the country 1,400 kms (870 miles) away, Iranian agencies said.

The nearest point in Iran is around 1,000 km from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

“The reason we designed our missiles with a range of 2,000 km is to be able to hit our enemy the Zionist regime from a safe distance,” Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by the ISNA agency.

Israeli officials had no immediate response to the Iranian launches, which come as Israel hosts U.S. Vice President Joe Biden for talks on regional issues.

Last week, the allies concluded a joint missile defence drill in Israel.

The U.S. State Department said it would raise Tuesday’s tests at the U.N. Security Council. The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives also said lawmakers would push for more unilateral sanctions.