Iran is world’s sixth-biggest missile power, says former defense minister.(TOI).
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s former defense minister said his country is ranked sixth in the world in missile production.
The semi-official Fars news agency quoted Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi on Sunday as saying that Iran reached this level of manufacturing by “attaining domestic technology for building solid fuel missiles, as well as designing and manufacturing surface-to-surface long-range missiles.”
Vahidi also claimed that Iran is first in the Middle East in missiles production. He gave no specific figures.
Iran occasionally announces military achievements that cannot be independently verified.
Some of Iran’s surface-to-surface missiles are estimated to be capable of hitting Israel and US bases in the region. Both countries have not ruled out a military option against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Tehran denies it seeks to make atomic weapons.
If you're going to build nuclear weapons, you're going to need a delivery system and missiles are best way since trying to use manned bombers or ships requires much more infrastructure, which is why most of your dictatorships take that route as the cheapest way to deliver weapons of mass destruction. I'm not reassured that Iran is boasting it has massive missile capability, even if it does all turn out to be hot air. Saddam certainly had enough to lob warheads at Israel and Khamenei lies awake at night envisioning similar feats with nuclear tipped warheads. What is really paradoxical is that Iran is making all these pronouncements, as well as seeking new uranium sources from Zimbabwe and spinning up 10,000 centrifuges for enriching it that you have to wonder why all this saber rattling at a time when Iran professes to want moderation and dialogue with new president Hassan Rouhani? The answer is simple: Iran really doesn't want open dialogue. It wants to buy time from harsh sanctions to provide relief to people hurt by the regime's policies and allow it to build its nuclear capability. To say Iran's ruling mullahs are disingenuous would be kind. Iran in fact has a long record of duplicity and this is no different. For anyone doubting this, you should check up on the long and loyal career of Rouhani at www.hassan-rouhani.info and see the real facts. Iran will never change unless the regime does.
ReplyDelete