Successful Test of New Long-Range Missile 'Emad' in Iran

According to Iran's Defense Minister, the long-range missile 'Emad', a new generation of Iran's ground-to-ground ballistic missiles, has been successfully tested. In a report by IRNA, Hossein Dehghan, the Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, stated on Sunday, October 11, that the 'Emad' missile, which was entirely designed and built by scientists and specialists of the Aerospace Industries Organization of the Ministry of Defense, is the first long-range missile of the Islamic Republic of Iran with guidance and control capabilities until the moment it hits the target. Mr. Dehghan noted, 'This missile is capable of hitting intended targets with high precision and completely destroying them.' The test of the 'Emad' missile comes after some Iranian officials expressed concerns that a new nuclear agreement with Western powers could impose restrictions on the Islamic Republic's missile program. A few days after the parties reached a nuclear agreement, the UN Security Council issued a resolution prohibiting Iran from developing missiles designed 'to carry nuclear warheads.' However, the Iranian Defense Minister stated on Sunday, 'To enhance our defensive power and missile capability, we do not seek permission from anyone and will decisively pursue our defense programs, especially in the missile domain.' Mr. Dehghan concluded by announcing, 'With the mass delivery of the Emad missile to the missile units of the armed forces in the near future, the tactical and operational power of these units will significantly increase.' In this context, on Sunday, Reuters also reported on the test of this long-range missile, stating that strategic researchers cite the range of the 'Emad' missile as 1,700 kilometers and its targeting accuracy as 500 meters. According to this report, this missile is related to the Shahab-3 missiles and uses liquid fuel. Reuters noted that the Shahab-3, which has been added to Iran's arsenal since 2003, has a similar range to the Emad missile but only has a targeting accuracy of up to two kilometers. Israeli missile expert Ozi Robin told Reuters about this new missile, 'Emad represents a significant leap in terms of accuracy; this missile is equipped with an advanced guidance and control system in its nose.' Earlier, the deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps indicated that the IRGC has a 'unique' ballistic missile that 'only Russia and the United States might have,' stating that American ships and 'regional bases' are within the range of Iran's 'precision-guided and unique ballistic missiles.' Additionally, in August of this year, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran responded to a request from a group of parliament members for testing ballistic missiles, stating that these tests would be conducted in due time. A group referred to by conservative news agencies as 'teachers and students of Qom seminary' published a statement in early August, requesting Hassan Firouzabadi, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, to approve 'the order to fire a ballistic missile in a limited exercise by the Aerospace Force of the IRGC.'