"Tehran test puts Israel within range Correspondents in Tehran | July 10, 2008
Iran yesterday test-fired a missile whose range puts Israel within reach, angering the United States amid growing fears that the standoff over the contested Iranian nuclear drive could lead to war.
Arabic-language state channel al-Alam said the missile was a "Shahab-3 with a conventional warhead weighing one tonne and with a 2000km range".
The test prompted a sharp rebuke from the White House, which warned the Islamic republic yesterday to immediately abandon its ballistic missile program.
"
Iran's development of ballistic missiles is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions
and completely inconsistent with Iran's obligations to the world," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
The test, which included firing several other missiles, comes at a time of growing tensions over the Iranian nuclear program, which Tehran says is only for peaceful power generation, but the West fears could be aimed at making an atomic bomb.
"The aim of these war games is to show we are ready to defend the integrity of the Iranian nation," al-Alam quoted Revolutionary Guards air force commander Hossein Salami as saying.
"Our missiles are ready for shooting at any place and any time, quickly and with accuracy. The enemy must not repeat its mistakes. Enemy targets are under surveillance."
In total, nine missiles were tested, the state-run Press-TV reported. The station showed pictures of the Shahab-3 being launched at an undisclosed desert location inside Iran.
"This is a show of Iran's military muscle in the region in the face of threats from countries who said they would target Iran's nuclear facilities," the broadcaster said.
The US and its regional ally Israel have not ruled out launching an attack on Iran over its nuclear program.
There has been international concern an attack on Iran could be imminent after it emerged that Israel had carried out manoeuvres in Greece that were effectively practice runs for a potential air strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.
The test-firing comes a day after an aide to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Iran would "set fire" to Israel and the US warships in the Gulf as its first response to any US attack on the country over its nuclear program.
"The first US shot on Iran would set the US's vital interests in the world on fire," said Ali Shirazi, who is Khamenei's representative to Iran's Revolutionary Guards. "Tel Aviv and the US fleet in the Persian Gulf would be the targets that would be set on fire in Iran's crushing response."
His comments intensified a war of words that has raised fears of military confrontation and helped boost world oil prices to record highs.
The firing was part of The Great Prophet III war games by the missile and naval sections of the Revolutionary Guards.
US and British warships yesterday completed a five-day military exercise aimed at rehearsing protection of oil installations in the Gulf.
G8 leaders have expressed serious concern at the proliferation risks posed by Iran's nuclear program. "
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23996576-15084,00.html
Not as though they give a toss.
They either will dominate, or be with 77 eternal virgins .
Given their repressed religion/politics, easy choice !!!