Iran has successfully test-fired an upgraded version of its Fateh-110 short-range ballistic missile. The new missile is “meant for defense,” but is capable of destroying both land and sea targets with the same “pinpoint precision.”
"The high-precision missile fourth generation Fateh-110, with a range of over 300 kilometers, were tested by the Aerospace Industries Organization of Iran's Ministry of Defense," Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced on Saturday.According to the minister, the armed forces, when equipped with the Fateh missile, will be able to hit a large variety of targets, such as “gathering points of enemy [forces], command posts, missile sites, munitions depots, radar systems,” and others.“All these capabilities are meant for defense and will be employed only against aggressors and those who threaten the interests and the territorial integrity of our country,” Vahidi added.The announcement comes amid speculations of a possible Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities in the near future. On Wednesday, former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy said in an interview with The New York Times that "if I were an Iranian, I would be very fearful of the next 12 weeks.”Other reports, however, suggest that in reality no military plans against Tehran have been discussed by Israel's top ministers for “months,” and the harsh Israeli comments on the issue are just a tactical ploy.