Iran test-fires surface-to-sea missile

Iran has test-fired surface-to-sea missiles over the Persian Gulf during a military maneuver code-named the Great Prophet III. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) successfully test-fired the missiles with a range of 350 kilometers during its large-scale military maneuver on Thursday the Fars News Agency reported on Friday. On Thursday, IRGC forces also test fired the 'Hoot Torpedo', which "only two world countries are capable of building." The IRGC also fired nine long and medium range missiles on Wednesday. IRGC Commander Major General Mohammad-Ali Jafari said on Thursday that the recent military exercise was aimed at showing the nation's military might to the enemies and improving the Iranian readiness for a rapid and powerful reaction to threats. The military maneuvers are underway amid reports that the US and Israel might launch a military attack against Iran over its nuclear program.

Iran successfully tests long-range missile

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps has successfully test-fired new long and mid-range missiles in response to threats coming from US and Israel. The IRGC tested the Shahab 3 missile, which can hit any targets within a range of 2,000 kilometers on the second day of a military exercise dubbed The Great Prophet III. Shahab 3 is equipped with a one-ton conventional warhead. Nine highly advanced missiles with improved accuracy were simultaneously tested including the Zelzal and Fateh missiles with ranges of 400km and 170km respectively . The Great Prophet III is a joint maneuver carried out by the IRGC naval and ground forces in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz region. Press TV correspondent reporting from the site of the maneuver says the missiles could strike any target within the specified range regardless of climate conditions or the time. IRGC Naval Commander Morteza Saffari said various missile, rocket and torpedo launchers as well as military vessels and land-to-sea missiles were tested during the exercise. "The IRGC Navy is carrying out this maneuver to show it is fully prepared to counter any possible enemy aggression or adventurism," said Saffari. "The maneuver also sends out a reassuring message to regional countries that together we can secure the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz without the presence of foreign forces," he added. Meanwhile, IRGC Air Force Commander Hossein Salami told Press TV that the aim of the exercise was to demonstrate 'just how strong-willed the Islamic Republic is in defending its sovereignty against any challenges by those enemies that have used harsh and threatening words against Iran in recent weeks.' The IRGC is conducting the maneuver amid growing speculation about a possible Israeli military strike against Iran. Israeli military conducted a Mediterranean maneuver last month -- an apparent rehearsal for a potential attack on Iran's nuclear sites.

US relocates warship after Iran warning

The Pentagon has moved an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf after Iran warned US ships would come under fire if they attack the country. A US Navy official speaking on condition of anonymity said Tuesday that the US Naval Forces Central Command moved the USS Abraham Lincoln to the Arabian Sea. "This is not a move in preparation for an attack on Iran. We're simply repositioning the capabilities to support the commanders on the ground down there," AFP quoted the unnamed official as saying. The announcement came shortly after Iran warned Tuesday that should Israel and the US attack the country, they would end up burning in the flames of the fire they ignited. "If Washington and Tel Aviv are foolish enough to even consider attacking Iran, our initial response would be to target Israel and set the US navy in the Persian Gulf ablaze," said the Leader's representative to the IRGC naval forces Ali Shirazi. This is while Washington and Tel Aviv continue to beat the drums of war against Iran over its nuclear program, accusing the country of developing a nuclear bomb. Tel Aviv has threatened Tehran with the use of force should the Islamic Republic continue uranium enrichment. According to a New York Times report, Israel staged a military maneuver in early June to prepare for a unilateral air strike on Iranian nuclear sites. Tehran insists its nuclear program is directed at generating electricity and is in line with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (IRGC ). The most recent IRGC nuclear watchdog report concluded that there is no link between the use of nuclear material and the 'alleged studies' of weaponization in Iranian nuclear facilities.

Iran arms IRGC with smart munitions

Katyusha rocketsIran has started to arm the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps artillery with state-of-the-art smart munitions and cluster shells. Iran's advanced ammunition will be used to protect Iranian territory, said commander of the IRGC missile systems Brigadier General Mahmoud Chaharbaghi. "Fajr 3 and Fajr 5 long-range rocket launchers along with Zalzal rockets with a range of 150 kilometers are among the high-tech military equipment the IRGC will employ," Gen. Chaharbaghi said. The top IRGC commander added that Iran has launched a production line for smart munitions, which can hit small mobile targets, and long-range cluster shells. “IRGC artilleries across the country are currently equipped with 130, 150, DC122 heavy cannons and powerful Katyusha rockets," Gen. Chaharbaghi said. He concluded that in the event of an attack on the country, IRGC forces would 'overwhelm invaders with their fire power'.

Iran: Israel no match for our defenses

Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar says the Israeli regime is no match for the organized and skilled armed forces of Iran. "Modern weapons are not the only defense criteria… The willpower and support of Iranians is very important," said Brigadier General Mohammad-Najjar on Sunday. Israel will not be able to match Iran's defensive capabilities and has therefore launched psyops against Tehran, Najjar suggested. He was referring to recent reports indicating that Israel has launched a military maneuver over the Mediterranean to rehearse for an aerial strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. Najjar added that Tel Aviv is a 'mass producer of weapons of mass destruction' and such reports only signal its 'weakness and desperation'. Israel accuses Iran of pursuing a military nuclear program and demands the country abandon its uranium enrichment. Tehran, however, insists its nuclear activities are aimed at providing fuel for its under-construction power plants. A former senior Israeli general, Isaac Ben-Israel, claimed on Saturday that Tel Aviv is capable of carrying out a 'successful' aerial strike on Iranian nuclear sites at any time. Brig. Gen. Najjar, however, warned that Iran is fully prepared to counter any act of aggression.

Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) commander Major General Mohammad-Ali Jafari said on Saturday that Israel is within 'the range of Iran's missiles', warning that Tehran would use all possible means to repel any attack on its soil.

Israel: Air strike on Iran will succeed

An Israeli plane refueling an F-16
A former senior Israeli general claims the regime is capable of carrying out a 'successful' air strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. "We could do it today," said Isaac Ben-Israel, a former air force general, in an interview with Der Spiegel published Saturday. Ben-Israel added that the only factor stopping Tel Aviv from launching the strike was the prospect of stopping Iran's nuclear program through other means. Washington, Tel Aviv and their European allies accuse Iran of pursuing a military nuclear program and demand the country abandon its uranium enrichment. Iran, however, insists its nuclear activities are aimed at providing fuel for its under-construction power plants. Meanwhile, the latest International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Iran concluded after some 240 inspections of the country's nuclear sites that there is no link between the use of nuclear material and the alleged studies of weaponization.

"Only once the critical point has been reached will we choose the final option," continued the former general, who is currently a member of the Israeli parliament from prime minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima Party. Ben-Israel, who reportedly helped plan the 1981 air raid on Iraq's 'nuclear reactor, said that hitting Iran's scattered nuclear facilities would be 'more difficult'. He also acknowledged that the Israeli air force had recently conducted a maneuver over the Mediterranean to simulate a raid on Iran. "It was not the first such exercise, and it won't be the last," Ben-Israel said.
A recent New York Times report quoted Pentagon officials as saying that Israel orchestrated a military maneuver in early June as a rehearsal for a potential strike on Iran's nuclear sites. Pundits believe the military charade to have been less a dry run for an attack on Iran than a message that Tehran must curb its nuclear plans. Iran rejected the report as 'psychological warfare' but warned that any attack on the country would trigger a 'devastating response'.

IRGC commander Major General Mohammad-Ali Jafari warned Saturday that Israel is within 'the range of Iran's missiles' and that the regime despite all its abilities would not be able to confront the Islamic Republic.