A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the force will soon unveil a “strategic missile” in the field of air defense systems.
Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the IRGC's Aerospace Force, made the announcement in a ceremony held on Monday to commemorate the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, on the 43rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
Hajizadeh pointed to the IRGC’s latest defense achievements, especially in the field of missiles. “The strategic missile will be unveiled in the near future.”
The senior commander added that the missile has been built for quite some time and is currently part of the IRGC’s combat capability.
A Pentagon study has recently acknowledged Iran’s missile power, saying its arsenal is larger than that of any other Middle Eastern country.
"Iran has an extensive missile development program, and the size and sophistication of its missile force continue to grow despite decades of counter-proliferation efforts aimed at curbing its advancement," it said.
Despite decades of Washington-imposed sanctions, Iran has made great achievements in its ballistic missiles program.
Last month, an American political analyst said Iran’s missile program has disrupted the strategic military calculations of the United States in the Middle East, altering the balance of power in a region where Washington has long sought to maintain a military edge.
“The US fears Iran is upsetting the hitherto American-enforced regional balance of power whereby Washington and its allies were supposed to have a decisive military advantage over the Islamic Republic,” Andrew Korybko, a Moscow-based American political commentator, told Press TV.
Iran’s missile program, he said, has increased the cost of a potential military confrontation for the United States. It has caused Americans to second-guess their policies and resort to unconventional means to destabilize Iran, including through proxy warfare against its regional partners, Korybko added.