Iran has increased the range of its missiles to 2,000km a senior official was quoted as saying yesterday.The range would put parts of Europe within reach for the first time. Military experts had earlier put Iran's missile range at 1,300km, which would allow it to strike anywhere in Israel."Now we have the power to launch a missile with a 2,000 km range," the news agency Irna quoted former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani as saying. "Iran is determined to improve its military capabilities." "If the Americans attack Iran, the world will change ... they will not dare to make such a mistake," Rafsanjani was quoted as saying in a speech at an exhibition on Space and Stable National Security.
In Washington, the US said that Iran's missile programme is a serious threat to the Middle East and US interests which is compounded significantly by its alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons. The State Department, speaking after Iran declared it had ballistic missiles with a range of 2,000km, said Washington would continue to work with other nations to address the concerns. "The United States has had and continues to have serious concerns about Iran's missile programmes," deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said. |