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By Reza
Derakhshi
TEHRAN
(Reuters) - Iran successfully test-fired a long-range,
upgraded Sejil 2 missile on Wednesday, state television
reported, a move likely to add to tension with Western
powers worried by Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the launch was of
serious concern to the international community and
underlined the case for tougher sanctions against Iran, the
world's fifth-largest oil exporter.
Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the test was
part of efforts to boost the country's deterrent
capabilities
Al
Alam, Iran's Arabic-language satellite television, said the
two-stage, solid fuel Sejil missile had a longer range than
the Islamic Republic's Shahab model.
Iranian
officials have in the past said the Shahab 3 missile can
reach targets up to 2,000 km (1,250 miles) away. Such a
range would put Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf within
reach.
The
missile test coincides with increased tension over Iran's
nuclear program, which the West fears is aimed at making
bombs. Iran denies the charge.
Neither
Israel nor the United States have ruled out military action
if diplomacy fails to resolve the dispute. Iran has vowed to
retaliate against any attack.
State
television showed a missile launched from desert-like
terrain soaring into the sky with a long vapor trail.
"Iran
successfully tests optimized version of Sejil 2 missile," it
said in a breaking news headline.
Vahidi
said the missile, which he said was developed by Iranian
scientists, needed a shorter launch time and was more
accurate than the previous version, state television said.
The
test came a day after the U.S. House of Representatives
approved legislation to impose sanctions on foreign
companies that help supply gasoline to Iran, a measure
lawmakers hope would deter Tehran from pursuing its nuclear
work.
"SERIOUS CONCERN"
Iran
has repeatedly shrugged off the impact of such punitive
measures, that include three rounds of limited U.N.
sanctions since 2006.
In
Copenhagen, Britain's Brown said after meeting U.N.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: "I have expressed to him and
he has also expressed concern about the test of a long-range
missile by Iran.
"This
is a matter of serious concern to the international
community and it does make the case for us moving further on
sanctions ... We will treat this with the seriousness it
deserves."
In
September, Iran test-fired missiles which a commander said
could reach any regional target. The White House branded
those tests "provocative."
Washington suspects Iran is trying to develop nuclear bomb
capability and has previously expressed concern about
Tehran's missile program. Iran says its nuclear work is
solely for generating peaceful electricity.
Earlier this week, diplomats said intelligence suggested
that Iran worked on testing a key atomic bomb component as
recently as 2007, a finding which if proven would clash with
Iran's assertion its nuclear work is for civilian use. |
