The missiles — Shahab-3 and Sajjil — were launched in the desert as part of military exercises that began before the U.S., France and Britain accused Tehran over the weekend of building a secret uranium-enrichment plant in the mountains. The U.S. and other nations have threatened new sanctions against Iran if international inspectors are denied access to the facility.
The Sahab-3 and the Sajjil 2 have a range of 800 to 1,200 miles. The Sajjil 2 is powered by solid fuel, making it more accurate than previous generations of missiles in the Islamic republic’s arsenal. It was not the first time these missiles were tested, but their launchings as part of an exercise called “The Great Prophet IV” coincided with growing tension leading to Iran’s meeting in Geneva on Thursday with the U.S. and other nations.
