According to multiple reports, Iran has launched over a dozen ballistic missiles that the country claims are capable of hitting Israel during the course of an “ongoing major military exercise” this week.
Although the exact number of missiles launched has not been confirmed, Iran’s state news agency claims that a total of 16 surface-to-surface ballistic missiles were launched as part of the exercise. Major General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri claimed that the missiles all simultaneously hit the same target, a claim that has not yet been independently verified. Bagheri also stated that the launches were in response to Israel’s “massive but pointless threats” to Iran.
According to the Times of Israel, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Major General Hossein Salami also added, “The military exercise… is a serious warning to Zionist regime officials… Make the slightest mistake, we will cut off their hand.”
The United States Department of State does not appear to have commented on the launch, and requests for comment were not immediately returned.
The UK’s Foreign Office, however, said in a statement that “The launch is a clear breach of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which requires that Iran not undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons – including launches using ballistic missile technology. These actions are a threat to regional and international security and we call on Iran to immediately cease its activities.”
Foreign policy experts have cautioned for years that Iran has been continuing to advance their strategic missile program aggressively even after entering into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action negotiated by the Obama administration. If Iran’s claims regarding this launch are true, their missile program may currently be more advanced than even what was previously believed.