As the west expectantly awaits for Iran to respond on its nuclear programme, the Iranians have test fired their new Sajjil-2 missile. With a range of 1,200 miles, the new missile could easily hit targets in Israel as well as parts of Europe. The missile launch appears to have the intention of discouraging a military attack on its nuclear sites.
In response to the missile launch, the US has announced plans to simulate an Iranian missile attack in a missile test next month. Previous missile defense tests have used fake North Korean missiles to test American defenses.
Despite the announcement, U.S. intelligence assessments have recently concluded that “the threat of a potential Iranian ICBM had been slower to develop than previously estimated,” Ellen Tauscher, the State Department’s arms-control chief, told Congress. A variety of intelligence estimates say an Iranian ICBM might not happen until 2020.
Great Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown sees the test as a support “for us moving further on sanctions.”. It is still unclear whether such sanctions will take place or not, but the latest missile launch definitely appears to push for a response from the West.
Related news articles:
