International Network of Engineers and Scientists Against Proliferation

Iran successfully test-fires medium range missile

On July 22, 1998 Iran successfully test-fired a medium range missile with a range of about 800 miles, according to a senior administration official quoted in the "New York Times".

The new weapon would put all Israel, all of Saudi Arabia, most of Turkey and a tip of Russia within Iran's striking range, and would alter the political and military balance of power in the Middle East, according to the official.

The test was detected by a US spy satellite, and intelligence officials were studying data from the launch. Analysts here believe that the missile was a Rodong missile bought from North Korea. It was launched and landed within Iran's borders.

A former intelligence official said: "The major reaction to this is going to be from Israel and we have to worry what action the Israelis will take, because the Israelis clearly view the Iranians as their main threat in the Middle East." Israel is the only nuclear power in the region and its missiles are believed to be capable of striking any nation in the Middle East.

Iran is believed to be working on developing a nuclear warhead, but it is thought to be years away from making and testing such a weapon. The US is less certain about the size or sophistication of its programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction.

"The test will not come as a big surprise to the Israelis because they have been following Iran's missile programme very closely," an official said. "And they know, and we know, that ability to testfire a missile and the ability to develop, produce and deploy a largescale force are two very different things. It could take years for Iran to achieve that capability and we have to do our best to retard that."

According to a senior administration official, Iran's aim is not to strike at its enemies, but to be seen as a political and military force to be reckoned with in the middle East. "There is some prestige element here," he stated.

Iran has purchased technology for several ballistic missile programmes in parallel, buying Russian, Chinese and North Korean technology for many years. But officials here claim that they have had some success in limiting Russian and Chinese military assistance to Iran.

"The important point here is that they have very little indigenous internal capability to make a real missile, and they have required extensive outside technical support," the former intelligence official said. "But they have been, willing to spend money. I would guess the Rodong would cost 10 million dollars."

Source: The Hindustan Times, July 24,1998. An Israeli perspective on the Shihab-3 missile test, entitled "New Thinking on the Iranian Issue", has been written by Reuven Pedatzur in "Ha'aretz", July 28, 1998, p. B1. See: http://www.fas.org/news/iran/1998/980728-iran.htm .