This undated picture released on October 11, 2015 by the Iranian Defence Ministry on their website reportedly shows the launch of an Imad missile during tests at an undisclosed location in Iran.
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“The missile is also capable of hitting targets accurately and completely destroying them”, gazeta.ru quoted Dehgan as saying.
The rocket, named Emad which means “pillar”, is Iran’s most advanced weapon because it’s Iran’s first missile that can be guided until the moment of impact.
“We don’t ask permission from anyone to strengthen our defence and missile capabilities”, Dehghan said. The Islamic Republic is wary of a potential pre-emptive strike on its nuclear sites by Israel.
It is unclear when the missile was tested. Western nations have long suspected Iran of secretly pursuing nuclear arms, allegations denied by Tehran, which says its nuclear program is for purely peaceful purposes.
During the negotiations that produced the nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran resisted attempts by the USA and others to include ballistic missiles in the deal.
The deal reached with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russian Federation and the United States aims to limit Iran’s nuclear programme in return for lifting global sanctions.
In this respect, the Emad represents a major leap in terms of accuracy.
As a result of the embargo, Iran’s military capability is drastically limited compared to the U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces.
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Cordesman’s report said Tehran has been steadily developing its missile technology, focusing in particular on improvements to guidance systems.
