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Iran has successfully test-fired an improved mid-range missile, putting Israel and US Gulf bases within range. The new Sajiil-2 missile extends Iran's previous capability shown above. Photo by der Spiegel
Iran has announced on its state television on Wednesday the successful test-firing of an improved mid-range missile, the Sajiil-2.
It has a longer range than previously tested missiles such as the Shanab missile which has a range of up to 2 000 kms.
The capacity of the Sajiil-2 has put Israel and US bases in the Gulf region within range.
This is not the first occasion on which this type of rocket has been test-fired, but, according to the BBC, it is likely to be condemned by the west as a provocative act.
Meantime, the US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly voted for new sanctions against Iran, aimed at halting its contentious nuclear program.
The bill, which was passed 412-12, has to be approved by the US Senate before it can become law.
The proposed bill widens an existing law that punishes any company that invests USD 20 M per year in the Iranian energy sector. Under the new proposal, such firms could be banned from doing business with America or from receiving financial assistance from US institutions.
Critics of the bill claim it could backfire and lead Iranian citizens to blame the US for any energy supply shortages that might result from the bill, if it is successfully passed.
However, the US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, stated that Washington should use “all the tools at our disposal, from diplomacy to sanctions, to stop Iran’s march to nuclear capability”.
Iran is already the target of UN sanctions over its nuclear program, which the west suspects is for military purposes. Iran has always denied this claim, insisting its program is purely peaceful, and that further sanctions would be ineffective.
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