Iran tests nuclear-capable missile

Iran’s reported launching of a test on a cruise missile capable of carrying nuclear weapons challenges its contention of conducting missile activity only for defensive purposes. 

Iran reportedly tested the “Sumar” missile that is capable of carrying nuclear weapons in addition to its admitted launching over the weekend of a missile, according to the German news outlet Die Welt. 

The report, which referenced unspecified intelligence sources, said that the Sumar missile had been constructed in Iran and managed to fly for approximately 600 km. Moreover, the missile is estimated to have a range between 2,000 and 3,000 km. Israel would be within range of such a missile as Iran is less than 2,000 km away from Israel.

One of the security sources that spoke with Die Welt noted that conducting work and tests on such cruise missiles could be Iran’s way out of not violating its obligations regarding missile activity under UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

The resolution, which endorsed the Iran nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 powers (US, UK, Germany, France, Russia and China), explicitly prohibits Iran from undertaking “any activity related to ballistic missiles that are designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons,” but says nothing about cruise missiles like the Sumar.

Iran, for its part, has insisted that it has launched missile tests only for defensive purposes and is therefore not in violation Resolution 2231. President Donald Trump’s administration, however, has put Iran “on notice” for its “defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 2231” and for “actions that undermine security, prosperity, and stability throughout and beyond the Middle East and place American lives at risk.”

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News

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