Special report: Iran Nuclear Crisis

An Iranian TV footage shows Iran test-fires a new surface-to-air missile defense system on Feb. 7. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    TEHRAN, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran's elite Revolution Guard on Thursday successfully test-fired a land-to-sea cruise missile in the second day of its ongoing military maneuvers, the state television IRIB reported.

    "We have successfully test fired a cruise missile called SSN4,or Ra'ad, hitting targets 300 km (180 miles) away in the Sea of Oman and northern Indian Ocean," deputy Air Force commander Brigadier General Ali Fadavi was quoted as saying.

    "This missile has the final range of 350 km and can hit all kinds of big warships in all of the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman and northern Indian Ocean," he said.

    "It can carry a 500 kilos (1,100 pounds) warhead and can fly at low altitude, evading radar jammings and immune to electronic measures," the commander added.

    Missile units of the air and naval forces of Iran's Revolutionary Guards launched a new round of two-day drills on Wednesday, which is being conducted in southern and central parts of the Gulf and the Sea of Oman.

    The forces also test-fired a new surface-to-air missile defense system Tor-M1 imported from Russia Wednesday.

    Last month, the Revolutionary Guards also launched a five-day inland war games, in order to examine the fighting capability of Iran's two short range missiles.

    That war game was also coincident with the occasion that the United States just deployed its second aircraft carrier to the Gulf region recently.

    Iran regularly launch large-scale war games since the nuclear issue became the spotlight in the world three years ago.

    Last November, Iran started a 10-day military maneuvers dubbed "The Great Prophet 2," during which the Revolutionary Guards also test fired ballistic Shahab-3 missiles with a range of more than 2,000 km.

White House: U.S. not invading Iran

    WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- The White House reiterated on Thursday that the United States has no plan to invade Iran which, Washington says, is defiant to the UN resolutions to develop nuclear weapons.

    "I've said it, the secretary of defense has said it, the president has said it: We're not invading Iran," White House spokesman Tony Snow said at a news briefing. Full Story

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