Iran aims to soon test an improved version of its Shihab-3 medium-range missile, Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani said, following Israel's boosting of its anti-missile missile capability.
"We will improve the Shihab-3 and when we test it, in the very short future, we will let you know," what improvements have been made, said the minister, who was quoted by ISNA student news agency.
"These improvements do not only concern its range, but other specifications as well," Shamkhani said, without providing further details.
Late last month, Israel successfully tested its Arrow II anti-missile missile in the United States. It was the seventh time the missile has worked, but the first time it destroyed a real Scud missile.
Shamkhani insisted the Shihab-3 was intended for defensive purposes.
"The Israelis are trying hard to improve the capacity of their missiles, and we are also trying to improve the Shihab-3 in a short time," Shamkani said, denying the Islamic republic was working on a more advanced Shihab-4.
When asked if the army was involved in Iran's nuclear program, Shamkhani said that its "only intervention in the nuclear area, is nuclear protection," referring to possible attack from Israel's suspected nuclear arsenal.
"If a military operation is carried out against us, we cannot do nothing, so we are investing in nuclear protection," he said.
Meanwhile, according to a report in the New York Times, US intelligence officials and outside nuclear experts have reached the conclusion that the Bush administration's diplomatic efforts with European and Asian allies have "barely slowed the nuclear weapons programs in Iran and North Korea over the past year", and that both have made "significant progress".
In a tacit acknowledgment that the diplomatic initiatives with European and Asian allies have failed to curtail the programs, high-ranking administration and intelligence officials said, according to the report, that they are seeking ways to step up unspecified covert actions intended, in the words of one official, "to disrupt or delay as long as we can" Tehran's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
