Iran says it fired 16 ballistic missiles during annual drill

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard fired much than a twelve surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, the authoritative IRNA quality bureau reported connected Friday.

The study said the Guard fired 16 missiles during an ongoing large subject workout crossed the country’s south. It said the sanction of missiles were Emad, Ghadr, Sejjil, Zalzal, Dezful and Zolfaghar and that their scope is from 350 to 2000 kilometers (220 to 1250 miles). The short-range and medium-range missiles, Iran has said, tin scope U.S. bases successful the portion arsenic good arsenic archenemy Israel.

It said the missiles successfully deed 1 people astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic 10 drones simultaneously deed their targets. State TV showed missiles launching successful the desert.

Iran had displayed and trial fired the missiles successful the past.

Major General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the main of unit of Iran’s Armed Forces, said the planned drill was an reply to Israel’s caller “massive but pointless threats” to Iran.

Bagheri said, “This was a tiny portion of hundreds of missiles that tin deed immoderate hostile people simultaneously.”

Israel has agelong seen Iran’s atomic programme arsenic a menace and seeks a harder enactment by the U.S. and planetary community. Iran insists its atomic programme is peaceful.

During the 2nd time of the drill connected Tuesday, Iran launched cruise missiles, too.

The Guard successful the past has said it has cruise missiles with ranges of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). It besides has missiles that scope up to 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles).

From clip to time, Iran holds subject exercises, saying they are aimed astatine improving the readiness of its forces and investigating caller weapons.

The five-day yearly workout that began connected Monday came days aft the breakup of talks to revive Tehran’s atomic woody with satellite powers. Iran has accelerated its atomic advances arsenic negotiations to instrumentality to the accord conflict to marque headway. The talks volition resume connected Monday.

Former President Donald Trump pulled the United States retired of the atomic woody and re-imposed crushing sanctions connected Iran successful 2018 . Tehran has since started enriching uranium up to 60% purity - a abbreviated method measurement from the 90% needed to marque an atomic bomb.