Iran reveals new ballistic missile in display of military strength

TEHRAN: Iran on Sunday unveiled a new ballistic missile it said has a range of 1,700 kilometers, unveiling it in Tehran at a ceremony attended by President Masoud Pezeshkian.

State television broadcast images of the missile, dubbed Etemad, or “Trust” in Persian, noting its range and calling it “the latest ballistic missile” developed by the Iranian Defense Ministry.

Western countries have expressed concern over developments in Iran’s ballistic missile program, accusing it of destabilizing the Middle East. Iran’s missiles, including this latest design, are capable of reaching its arch-enemy Israel, which it targeted twice last year as the Gaza conflict raged.

Pezeshkian said in a televised address that “the goal of developing defense capabilities and space technologies is to ensure that no country dares to attack Iranian soil.”

The event also featured the unveiling of three domestically produced satellites: a nearly 34-kilogram communications model called Navak, as well as updated versions of Pars-1 and Pars-2.

The latter two are imaging models used to monitor “the environment, emergencies and civil management,” according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

The event was held on Iran’s National Aerospace Day and a few days before the 46th anniversary of the founding of the Islamic Republic on February 10, 1979.

Since the return of US President Donald Trump – who adopted a “maximum pressure” approach to Iran in his first term – Tehran has staged several shows of force, including large-scale military exercises and the offer of underground military bases.

It also unveiled a new model of cruise missile on Saturday called the Ghadr-380, which a naval commander said has “anti-jamming capabilities” and a range of more than 1,000 kilometers.

At the same time, Tehran has signaled a willingness to resume talks on its nuclear program, which has been a source of tension with Western countries for decades.

Iran, which once obtained the majority of its military equipment from its then-ally the United States, has been forced to develop its own arsenal since Washington severed ties and imposed sanctions after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Under an arms embargo imposed during the devastating war with Iraq between 1980 and 1988, Iran now has a substantial stockpile of domestically produced weapons, including missiles, air defense systems and drones.