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Iran unveiled a new ballistic missile on Thursday, the longest-range to date, days after Israel's armed forces chief Herzi Halevi hinted at the possibility of "action" against Tehran over the development of its nuclear program.

The new liquid-fueled ballistic missile is a developed version of Iran's Khorramshahr projectiles and has a range of 2,000 kilometers and a warhead of 1,500kg, the official IRNA news agency reported. The missile can reach Israeli and U.S. bases in the Middle East. "Our message to Iran's enemies is that we will defend our country and its achievements. Our message to our friends is that we want to help regional stability," Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani said during the presentation.

Tehran lavished a show of force in a ceremony filled with symbols against its enemies, amid rising tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the breakdown of the fragile ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and the Iranian-backed Palestinian militant group, Islamic Jihad (PIJ). The new missile has been baptized as Kheibar, in reference to a Jewish castle invaded by Muslim warriors during the outbreak of Islam. In their presentation, the authorities placed next to it a miniature example of Jerusalem's Golden Dome of the Rock, a holy site in both Islam and Judaism.

In recent years Iran has expanded its missile program, particularly ballistic ones, despite opposition from the United States and European countries. Tehran has reiterated that it views the development of its ballistic missiles as a deterrent and retaliatory force against Washington and its adversaries in the region.

The nuclear agreement, on paper

The 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, forced Tehran to curtail its nuclear program in exchange for freeing it from international sanctions. Two years later, Iran unveiled the new Khorramshahr ballistic missile, prompting a harsh reaction from then-US President Donald Trump. He threatened Tehran with tearing up the pact, creating great uncertainty in the region. The deal fell through shortly thereafter, in 2018, when the United States unilaterally withdrew and reimposed sanctions on the country. Tehran, for its part, suspended its end of the deal, including its commitment to curb nuclear development and uranium enrichment. Iran has consistently and passively denied that it is developing nuclear weapons.

In January 2020, Iran launched a missile attack on US forces in Iraq, in retaliation for the assassination, ordered by Washington, of Revolutionary Guard commander Qasem Soleimani and his Iraqi lieutenant, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Since then there have been several unsuccessful attempts by international actors to relaunch the stalled nuclear deal.

An Associated Press investigation said Iran had built an underground system near a nuclear enrichment facility, raising concerns among international leaders about Iran's nuclear development.

The head of Iran's nuclear program, Mohammad Eslami, insisted that his government will cooperate with international inspectors to show the "new activities" and called the new information "psychological warfare" against the country.

  • Iran
  • Israel
  • Islam
  • Iraq
  • Donald Trump

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