Iran announced Sunday that it will test-fire long-range missiles during a three-day missile exercise from Monday.
Revolutionary Guards General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said the “Great Prophet 7″ war games would include the test-firing of long-range, medium-range, and short-range missiles at target bases modeled after those of foreign armies, Iranian media reported.
According to Reuters, he added that the exercise should be seen as a message “that the Islamic Republic of Iran is resolute in standing up to … bullying, and will respond to any possible evil decisively and strongly.”
“If they take any action, they will hand us an excuse to wipe them off the face of the earth,” said Hajizadeh, evidently referring to Israel.
Hajizadeh also said Iran has produced an anti-radar missile called “Arm” that can hit any source of radar. He said the weapon could travel at several times the speed of sound, had an estimated range of 300 kilometers, and could “damage” missile shields in Turkey and Gulf countries.
Iran’s Shihab-3 missile has a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) and can reach Israel and southern Europe.
Hajizadeh said that the annual missile training drill would be held in Iran’s eastern Sistan-Baluchestan province and aims to bolster combat readiness against hypothetical enemies.
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Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province lies due north of the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz.
The announcement coincided with Sunday’s introduction of a European Union oil embargo meant to pressure Iran over its nuclear program. Iran denies Western accusations that it wants to build nuclear weapons.
The Iranian Mehr news agency said Iran could take measures to counter the new international oil sanctions, including shutting the vital Strait of Hormuz off its southern coast. A fifth of the world’s oil supply comes through the Strait, and Iran has threatened repeatedly to close it.
On Sunday, however, Iran’s Defense Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi made statements to the official IRNA news agency about the Strait in which he did not mention any plans to close it.
Vahidi said Iran is the main protector of the waterway, and that Tehran “has confronted anybody who tried to endanger the Strait.”