Defence minister Amir Hatami introduced the home-built surface-to-air weapon – dubbed the “Khordad 15” – at a ceremony on Sunday.
The Telegraph reports that the massive contraption is equipped with long-range missiles that can simultaneously track and destroy six different targets at once within a range of 75 miles.
At the weapon’s unveiling ceremony, Hatami said: “Iran will increase its military capabilities to protect its national security and interests, and it will not ask permission from anyone on this matter.”
The new weapon has been rolled out among growing tensions with the US, who recently escalated tensions between the two countries further by deploying aircraft into the Persian Gulf. On Saturday, a group of US navy fighter jets flew over the Arabian Sea for the second time, signalling to Iran America’s global military reach. Aircraft carriers were also deployed into the region on May 5 in response to “troubling and escalatory indications” of threats from Iran. The move was designed to send a clear message that any attack on the US will be met with “unrelenting force”. Iran had apparently threatened to target US troops in neighbouring countries such as Iraq and Syria, but the US move heightened tensions significantly.
Officials in Tehran, Iran’s capital, have repeatedly said that they would retaliate against US forces in the region if they attacked. In recent years, Iran has been pushing to build its own weapons and become less dependant on foreign suppliers. The country is clearly keen to showcase its strength – even as it becomes increasingly more isolated and edges towards financial ruin. Last year, the US withdrew from the Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal and compelled its European allies to stop importing Iranian oil – tanking the country’s economy. Hours before Iran unveiled its new weapon, it was urging European countries like France and Germany to uphold the commitments made under the nuclear deal. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Europeans have a “duty” to ensure that Iran returns to an economically stable position. On Friday, Iran rejected a suggestion by France to re-open nuclear talks, after much back and forth between the two countries. The new weapon has apparently already been deployed to the country’s military.
Source » thesun