Iran reveals new anti-ballistic missiles amid regional tensions
Iran's unveiling of new missiles coincides with heightened tensions in the region, as Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen launch attacks on US, UK and Israeli ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with Gaza.
Iranian-made missiles are displayed in front of the Azadi (Freedom) monument in the annual rally commemorating Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution in Tehran / Photo: AP
Iran has unveiled new weaponry including what it said was the locally made Arman anti-ballistic missile system and the Azarakhsh low-altitude air defence system, the official IRNA news agency reported.
The announcement came on Saturday amid heightened tensions in the region, with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis carrying out a string of attacks on vessels linked to the US, UK and Israel in the Red Sea in a show of solidarity with Gaza.
In response to the Houthi attacks, the US has targeted sites inside Yemen as well as facilities of Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria. In turn, US military bases have been attacked in Syria and Iraq. Israel has also struck Iranian targets in Syria.
Bolstering defence capabilities
Saturday’s unveiling ceremony of the two vehicle-mounted systems took place in the presence of Iranian Defence Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani.
"With the entry of new systems into the country's defence network, the air defence capability of the Islamic Republic of Iran will increase significantly," IRNA said.
It said the Arman missile system "can simultaneously confront six targets at a distance of 120 to 180 km", while the Azarakhsh missile system "can identify and destroy targets... up to a range of 50 km with four ready-to-fire missiles".
In June Iran presented what officials described as its first domestically made hypersonic ballistic missile, named Fattah, with a range of 1,400 km.
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