Just days after being put “on notice” by the White House for conducting a ballistic missile test, Iran has fired off five advanced surface-to-air missiles in a military exercise.
The Hunter missiles were successfully launched from Dasht-e Kavir, a remote desert area in the middle of Iran, on Sunday. That type of missile in used to down aircraft and incoming missiles.
This violates the spirit of U.N. Resolution 2231, which calls on Iran not to conduct a missile test, if not the actual letter of it.
According to Fox News, the launch was supposed to coincide with the “10 Days of Dawn” celebrations which mark the anniversary of the Regime’s 1979 takeover. The celebrations start on February 1, the anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini’s return to Iran after 15 years in exile, and ends on the day that Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s regime collapsed, just ten days later.
On Saturday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) conducted a separate military exercise to test its missile and radar systems.
Last week, the Iranian Regime was put on notice for testing its ballistic missiles and supporting the Houthi rebels in Yemen, according to National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
Defence officials have also accused Iranian-backed rebels of targeting the US via an attack on its regional ally Saudi Arabia.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted on Friday: “We will never use our weapons against anyone, except in self-defence. Let us see if any of those who complain can make the same statement.”
It’s unclear whether Iran tested Sayyad missiles of type 1 or type 2, as both look the same from satillite imaging. Type 1s can fly 75 miles, whereas Type 2s can fly 125 miles.
