Iran test-fired several ballistic missiles from silos across the country on Tuesday, the official website of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said, defying recent US sanctions on its missile program.
The test was intended “to show Iran’s deterrent power and also the Islamic Republic’s ability to confront any threat against the (Islamic) Revolution, the state and the sovereignty of the country”, the website said.
The test came two months after the United States sanctioned businesses and individuals linked to Iran’s missile program over a test of the medium-range Emad missile carried out in October 2015.
The United Nations said that test, which took place after Iran reached a nuclear deal with world powers in July, violated Security Council Resolution 1929 which barred Iran from undertaking any work on nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.
That resolution expired when the nuclear deal was implemented in January, but a new resolution then came into force under which Iran is “called upon” not to undertake any work on missiles “designed to” deliver nuclear weapons.
Iran always denied any link between its ballistic missiles and its disputed nuclear program, which is now subject to strict limitations and checks under the nuclear deal that came into force in January.
While any missile of a certain size could in theory be used to carry a nuclear warhead, Iran says the Emad and other missiles are for use as a conventional deterrent. Recent work has focused on improving the missiles’ accuracy, which experts say will make them more effective with conventional warheads.