Iran test-fires new missle

Iran has test-fired a new generation of surface-to-surface missiles, reports state television.

TEHRAN // Iran has test-fired a new generation of surface-to-surface missiles, state television reported today. Iran's armed forces have staged frequent manoeuvres in recent months, coinciding with speculation of possible US or Israeli strikes against Iran over its disputed nuclear ambitions. The reports came a day after Iranian media said the elite Revolutionary Guards had tested a new missile, named Samen, near the Iraqi border. "Iran successfully test-fires new generation of ground-to- ground missiles," state television said in a scrolling headline. Another Iranian channel, the English-language Press TV, said the missile, named Sejil, was of a type that used combined solid fuel and described it as a "deterrent". "Launch aimed at clarifying Iran's conventional missile aims," Press TV said in a scrolling headline. The Press TV newscaster said the missile had two stages and showed the Islamic state's capability to "defend its soil". The United States and its Western allies suspect Iran is seeking to build atomic bombs, a charge Tehran denies. Iran has said it would respond to any attack on its territory by targeting US interests and Israel, as well as closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for world oil supplies.

* Reuters