JEDDAH, 11 February 2022, (TON): Iran boasted on Wednesday that it had developed a new ballistic missile with a range of 1,450 km making it capable of targeting Israel, Gulf state capitals, and US bases in the Middle East.

State TV displayed the new surface-to-surface “Kheibar Shekan” missile, named after a 7th-century military victory by the Prophet Muhammad at the Kheibar oasis in the Hijaz region of what is now Saudi Arabia.

A military spokesman said “this long-range missile is domestically manufactured by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It has high accuracy and is propelled by solid fuel, and is capable of penetrating missile shields.”

The chief of Iran’s armed forces, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, said Tehran’s weapons program would move forward at pace.

He said “we will continue on the path of growth, development and excellence for our missile power, in terms of both quantity and quality.”

Iran has the largest arsenal of missiles in the Middle East. Late last year it fired 16 ballistic missiles to conclude military drills described by generals as a warning to Israel.