Iran test fires high-speed torpedo in Strait of Hormuz

Iran test-fired a high speed torpedo soon after a top official threatened to destroy large swaths of Saudi Arabia. 

Iran test-fired a high-speed torpedo on Sunday, according to senior US defense officials who spoke with Fox News and NBC.

The test of the Hoot torpedo, which has a range of six miles and the capability to move at 250 miles per hour, was conducted in the Straits of Hormuz, located off the Iranian coast.

Although the torpedo was fired in Iranian territorial waters, the test undoubtedly raises concern for many, as the Strait of Hormuz is a major transportation route in the international oil market. Iran has previously threatened to close off the waterway to the US and its allies.

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan threatened to destroy large swaths of Saudi Arabia, advising the Saudis “not to make any ignorant move, but if they do, we will not leave anywhere intact except (Muslim holy cities of) Mecca and Medina.”

Meanwhile, officials in the United States Defense Department are investigating new reports of Iranian military cooperation with North Korea. Officials in the US Pentagon told Fox News on Friday that equipment used by Iran in its recent tests suggest military coordination between the two countries.

In a failed underwater cruise missile test, Iran used a submarine that was apparently designed after the North Korean Yono submarine. Additionally, a number of Iranian missiles seem to be crafted in accordance with North Korean designs, including a ballistic missile tested by Iran in January.

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News

IranNorth KoreaSaudi ArabiaStrait of Hormuz