Iran shows off two new ballistic missiles amid US tensions
Iran’s state TV reports the country has unveiled two new missiles, as the US heads to the UN to trigger snapback sanctions after the Security Council rejected Washington's bid to extend Tehran's arms embargo.
A new cruise missile and a surface-to-surface ballistic missile are seen in an unknown location in Iran in this picture received by Reuters on August 20, 2020. WANA (West Asia News Agency).
Iran has displayed a surface-to-surface ballistic missile, ignoring US demands that Tehran halt its missile programme.
State TV said officials unveiled the two new missiles on Thursday — National Defence Industry Day in Iran.
"The surface-to-surface missile, called martyr Qassem Soleimani, has a range of 1,400 km and the cruise missile, called martyr Abu Mahdi, has a range of over 1,000 km," Defence Minister Amir Hatami said in a televised speech.
Pictures of the missiles were shown on state TV, which it said was "the newest Iranian cruise missile that will further strengthen Iran's deterrence power."
Soleimani, head of Iran's elite Quds Force, and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al Muhandis were killed in January in a US strike on their convoy in Baghdad airport.
"Missiles and particularly cruise missiles are very important for us ... the fact that we have increased the range from 300 to 1,000 in less than two years is a great achievement," said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
"Our military might and missile programmes are defensive."
New engines
Also on Thursday, Iran unveiled a fourth-generation light turbo-fan engine for its advanced drones.
Iran also inaugurated the production line of its domestically produced "Owj" engine for the Iranian-made twin-seat Kowsar fighter jet.
Iran routinely unveils technological achievements for its armed forces, its space program and its nuclear efforts.
READ MORE: What the UAE-Israel deal means for Iran's security
US pushes to extend arms embargo
The announcement comes as Washington pushes to extend a UN-imposed arms embargo against Iran, which is due to expire in October under Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Tensions have been high between Tehran and Washington since 2018, when President Donald Trump pulled out the United States from the deal and reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran.
READ MORE: UN Security Council rejects US demand to extend Iran arms embargo
The prior administration left no doubt that the U.S. has the ability to snap back sanctions on Iran. That's what we intend to do. As President @realDonaldTrump said, we will not continue down a path whose predictable end is more violence, terror, and a nuclear armed Iran. pic.twitter.com/0rrOt8qoO1
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) August 20, 2020
Washington says its aim is to force Tehran to agree a broader deal that puts stricter limits on its nuclear work, curbs its ballistic missile program and ends its regional proxy wars. Iran has rejected talks as long as US sanctions remain in place.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that Trump has directed him to trigger "snapback" – a return of all US sanctions on Iran – at the UN Security Council in New York on Thursday, after the council rejected Washington's bid to extend Tehran's arms embargo.
READ MORE: The history of US-Iran tensions, explained
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