Iran Successfully Tests Long-range Missile

Iran said it successfully tested a new long-range guided ballistic missile, a move that risks amplifying the tensions between the Muslim Shiite power and its regional Arab-Sunni rivals.

“To follow our defense programs, we don’t ask permission from anyone”, Dehghan also said, according to CNN.

The rocket could carry a 750 kg (1,653 pound) payload, and was scheduled for deployment a few time after 2016, he wrote.

“It has an advanced guidance and control system in its nose cone”, Israeli missile expert Uzi Rubin said.

This is the first test of a ballistic surface-to-surface missile by Iran since United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 in July, which endorsed a landmark nuclear deal reached between Iran and world powers.

In August, Iran unveiled a solid fuel ballistic missile that can strike targets within a range of 310 miles.

Since 1992, Iran has emphasized a self-sufficient and indigenous military production industry, producing missiles, tanks and light submarines. The government frequently announces military advances that can not independently verified.