Concerns over Iran’s successful test-launched ballistic missile

Iran has successfully launched a 2,000km-range (1,243m) ballistic missile days after its arch-enemy Israel called for more action to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear state.

Iran claimed that this missile has the capability to reach Israel and US bases in the region as Iran now becomes one of the biggest missile programs in the Middle East.

Iranian Deputy Defence Minister General Seyyed Mehdi Farahi said that the newly-unveiled “Khorramshahr-4” missile is capable of neutralizing enemy cyber-attacks, claiming that countering the missile is not possible.

Speaking in an IRIB TV program, Farahi said that Iran in the last 40 years has achieved many successes under the pressures and sanctions. “We developed many missiles and defense systems in the span of time and the Khorramshahr-4 missile is one of them.”

A day earlier, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammadreza Ashtiani said that this missile has the ability to evade radar detection and penetrate enemy air defense systems.

He called the successful launch of the missile in the interest of peace and regional stability, and emphasized that they will defend from Iran and its achievements.

“This is the most capable missile that so far Iran has made,” said Farahi, claiming that Tehran has the capability to produce missiles with a range of more than 2,000 kilometers.

There are some concerns

Iran has made it clear that developing such missiles are an important deterrent and retaliatory force against the US, and Israel in the region. Israel is utterly not happy with such a missile test and on Tuesday a top Israeli general raised the prospect of “action” against Iran to revive the country’s stalled 2015 nuclear deal.

The negotiations have been frozen since last September and Iran claimed the US is not interested in the talk but the West says Tehran’s has been accelerating nuclear advances.

But Iran denies the claim and also removed surveillance cameras and other monitoring equipment at nuclear sites that were put in place under a 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers.

Iran took the decision last year as the deal unraveled following the US withdrawal in 2018.

The then US President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement in 2018, causing Iran to intensify nuclear activities. It was agreed in the agreement that the US will remove sanctions on Iran and in return Tehran will stop enriching its nuclear program.

US and France express worrisome on Iran’s missile test

The US and France accused Iran of violating a UN Security Council resolution endorsing the 2015 nuclear deal after it successfully test-launched the ballistic missile.

French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anne-Claire Legendre said that such tests “are all the more worrying in the context of the continuing escalation of Iran’s nuclear program.”

A handout picture from Iran’s Defense Ministry shows a 4th generation Khorramshahr ballistic missile being launched in Iran, May 25, 2023.

During her daily briefing, Legendre added that Iran’s activities pose serious and increased non-proliferation risks without any credible civilian justification

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also came up with a similar remake and said that Iran’s “development and proliferation of ballistic missiles poses a serious threat to regional and international security.”

“Despite the restrictions on Iran’s missile-related activities under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, Iran continues to seek a range of missile technologies from foreign suppliers and to conduct ballistic missile tests in defiance of the resolution,” Miller added.

He furthered, “an Iran with a nuclear weapon would likely act even more provocatively, and that’s why we are so committed to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.”

Why this missile test is more in spotlight

The US, France and Israel are the countries that immediately reacted to Iran’s missile launch. This time it’s not about Israel alone, but also about the safety of Europe as Iran has been accused of supplying Russia with armed drones and missiles. Russian media somehow herald the success of this missile test.

This comes as the Ukrainian president had recently called on Iran to stop supplying Moscow with drones, a remark which earned harsh criticism.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani blasted the accusations made by Volodymyr Zelensky, calling them “a worthless political show” aimed at provoking the US and certain European states to supply Kiev with more military equipment. Kanaani added that Iran has always expressed its opposition to the war in Ukraine.

Iran had repeatedly denied supplying any drones to Russia, but Tehran admitted it had provided a small number before the Ukraine-Russia war began.

Zelensky said that drones helped a lot Russia against Ukraine, however, Iran asked for a thorough probe into the matter.

Last November, Tehran wanted to have a meeting with Ukrainian military officials to revise their findings regarding the drones, but at the last minute, Kieve canceled the schedule.