The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says that Iran has test-fired a new missile.
“Our country is always the arena for testing a variety of defense and strategic systems and these are non-stop movements towards the growth of our deterrence power,” Major General Hossein Salami said on Saturday.
“And yesterday was one of the successful days for this nation,” he added without providing any further details about the missile launch.
Salami’s remarks came a day after Iranian Deputy Defense Minister General Qassem Taqizadeh said that Iran posses “very accurate missiles which we have not publicized”.
“We manufacture missiles limited to [what is needed to address] threats, and for now, we know that they are within 1800 km of us. We have, however, increased their precision. Long gone is the time when we were making Shahab 1 missiles,” he said.
The Shahab 1 missile is among Iran’s first indigenously-made missiles, laying the foundation of Iran’s long-range missile program.
Detailing Iran’s doctrine of deterrence, Taqizadeh said, “The Americans know well that we don't have to go to New York and confront them.”
“Today there are tens of thousands of Americans in the region and due to this, the Leader said that they will not engage in war with us,” he added.
‘Persian Gulf security in our hands’
IRGC Chief Commander Salami further addressed recent developments in the Persian Gulf, saying that “security in the Persian Gulf is in the powerful hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran and our enemies will not be able to scar it in any way.”
He also went on to describe US sanctions targeting the country as an “opportunity” for independent development in the country.
“The enemy believed that the sanctions could disable our economy and drag us to the negotiating table, but it was the opposite which occurred,” he said.
The US had pledged to impose a campaign of “maximum pressure” and reduce Iran’s oil exports to “zero” as part of sanctions reinstated after leaving the 2015 landmark nuclear deal last year.
Tensions have since escalated, with the US military announcing the deployment of additional military forces in the region in early May, citing alleged “threats” from Iran.
Several oil tankers have been targeted near the Persian Gulf region in the past months, with Washington and its ally Saudi Arabia quickly blaming Iran for the attacks.
Tehran has rejected any involvement, saying the incidents appear to be false flags meant to frame the Islamic Republic.
Iran shot down a multi-million dollar US spy drone in southern coastal province of Hormozgan in June for violating its airspace.