Iran's Defense Minister Announces Upgrade of 'Emad' Missile in 2016

Iran's Defense Minister announced the upgrade of the ballistic missile 'Emad' and stated that the second version of this missile will be delivered to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in 2016. The test of the Emad missile in October of this year provoked a reaction from the United Nations and intensified U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Hossein Dehghan, the Defense Minister, stated in an interview with Iran's state television that aired on Tuesday night, February 9, that 'the Emad missile will be mass-produced. In the next phase, this missile will be optimized for accuracy. The second version of this missile will also be delivered to the IRGC next year.' He regarded the construction and testing of this missile as essential for 'defensive deterrence' and said, 'We conducted the Emad test to show that our defense program is not halted and our activities continue.' The Emad missile test in October faced backlash from Western countries, especially the United States, which views this action by the Islamic Republic as a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231. According to the mentioned resolution, issued in July of this year to endorse the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and six world powers, Iran was requested to 'avoid any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads for eight years from the first day of the JCPOA implementation, including the use of technology related to these missiles.' A UN sanctions monitoring team assessed the Emad ballistic missile as capable of carrying nuclear warheads. In its report, the team stated that missiles capable of carrying a payload of 500 kilograms to a range of 300 kilometers are considered capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The UN monitoring team has evaluated that the range of the 'Emad' missile exceeds one thousand kilometers and its payload capacity is also more than one thousand kilograms. The United States added 11 individuals and entities to its sanctions list related to Iran's missile program less than a day after announcing the start of the JCPOA implementation and the lifting of international sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program. However, the Iranian Defense Minister, like other officials of the Islamic Republic, stated in his remarks on Tuesday night that they do not consider the Emad missile test a violation of the JCPOA or the UN Security Council resolution. He stated, 'This is not a violation of Resolution 2231. It states that Iran should not design or produce a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. This accusation against us was unfounded because there has never been any non-peaceful nuclear activity in the Islamic Republic of Iran. In our defensive doctrine, our foundation is to minimize harm to human beings.' Mr. Dehghan also announced the beginning of the delivery process of the S-300 defense system from Russia and said, 'Our training team is in Moscow and will return next week. The maintenance team is also going to Moscow.' He added, 'The system is packaged and being transferred. Part of the system will be delivered in the first quarter of the calendar year, and another part two to three months later. That is, we will have it in our possession by the first half of the calendar year.' Russia and Iran signed a contract to purchase five S-300 systems in 2007, but in the fall of 2010, under the influence of intensified international sanctions against Iran, then-President Dmitry Medvedev suspended the sale of these systems. However, in April of this year, after signs of a potential nuclear agreement with Iran emerged, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree lifting the ban on the sale of the S-300 system to Iran. The S-300 anti-aircraft missile is capable of targeting aircraft at a distance of 150 kilometers and can simultaneously track 100 targets. In another part of his remarks, the Iranian Defense Minister also referred to the purchase of other Russian military equipment, specifically mentioning the Su-30 fighter jets, for which a contract is being finalized. He said, 'Since the revolution, we have not imported any new aircraft except for some Su-24 planes. The aircraft that our friends in the Air Force have reviewed as modern, up-to-date, and capable is the Russian Su-30. The number has also been discussed, and we are finalizing these contracts.' The Su-30 is a twin-engine fighter with an operational range of 1500 kilometers and is capable of performing air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. This fighter is currently in service with the air forces of India, China, Russia, Venezuela, Indonesia, and several other countries.