IRGC commander says elite forces launched long-range ballistic missile from warship

Major General Hossein Salami stated on Monday that the achievement means that the IRGC will have the capacity to hit any target because its ocean-cruising warships can sail to any location around the world.

“One long-range ballistic missile was successfully fired from a military vessel of the IRGC Navy in joint cooperation between the IRGC Aerospace Force and the IRGC Navy,” Salami was quoted as saying by semi-official Tasnim news agency.

The development comes amid Iran’s growing success in expansion of its defensive missile program. The country has used the missiles in attacks in recent years on terrorist targets located as far as the Mediterranean.

However, Iran has repeatedly declared that its missile capabilities are solely used for deterrence and defense.

It has warned the United States and Israel that any action against Iran will be met with missile attacks on their military positions and interests in the region.

Last month, Iranian long-range missiles were fired at a base controlled by the Israeli spying agents in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, as well as on gatherings of terrorists in Syria who were involved for explosions that killed more than 90 people in early January in the city of Kerman.