Iran on Tuesday announced it has built a new missile with a range sufficient to put Israel and US bases in the Middle East within easy reach, amid rising tensions over Tehran's contested nuclear drive.
Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said the new "Ashura" missile had a range of 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles) - the farthest in Iran's arsenal - state media reported. "The construction of the Ashura missile with a range of 2,000 kilometres is one of the accomplishments of the ministry of defence," Iranian news agencies quoted Najjar as saying.
However there has been considerable confusion in recent months about the capacities of Iran's longer-range missiles, seen by experts as one of its chief military assets. Iran in September at its main military parade unveiled a missile labelled Ghadr-1 (Power), which was said to have a range of 1,800 kilometres (1,100 miles).
The country's best-known longer-range missile, the Shahab-3, has been said by officials in the past to have a range of 2,000 kilometres. Yet at the military parade it was said to have only a 1,300-kilometre (800-mile) range. The agencies did not publish any pictures of the new Ashura missile, which is named after the holy mourning ceremony marking the death of Shia imam Hossein.
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