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Iran Continues Violation of Nuclear Deal by Testing Ballistic Missile | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Iran’s Khoramshahr missile is displayed by the Revolutionary Guard during a military parade marking the 37th anniversary of Iraq’s 1980 invasion of Iran. (AP)


Iran announced that it had carried out a “successful” test for the new medium-range Khoramshahr missile, local media said.

The test comes as the latest violation by Tehran of the 2015 nuclear agreement that it signed with six world powers. It also comes in defiance of warnings from Washington that it was ready to ditch the deal.

State television carried footage of the launch of the Khoramshahr missile, which was first displayed at a high-profile military parade in Tehran on Friday.

It also carried in-flight video from the nose cone.

The broadcaster did not say when the test had been conducted, although officials had said on Friday that it would be tested “soon”.

The Khoramshahr missile was unveiled during a Friday parade marking the beginning of the Iraqi-Iranian war in 1980. It is named after a city in southwestern Iran that was occupied by Iraqi forces in the beginning of the eight-year war that left 1 million people dead.

Revolutionary Guards aerospace commander General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said the new Khoramshahr missile has a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) and can carry multiple warheads.

Iran says all of its missiles are designed to carry conventional warheads only and has limited their range to a maximum of 2,000 kilometers, although commanders say they have the technology to go further.

Tehran claims that its tests are completely comply with the nuclear deal because the missiles are not designed to carry nuclear warheads.

Washington however rejects the justifications, saying that Tehran is violating the “spirit” of the nuclear agreement. It recently impose new sanctions against it for continuing with its missile program and tests.