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Iran among world's top missile powers: Defense minister

An AFP file photo shows Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps firing test missiles during military exercises outside the city of Qom.

Iran is among top missile powers in the world and is currently in the best state in terms of defense and missile capabilities, the country’s defense minister says.

"Praise be to God, today, the Islamic Republic of Iran is among world's top missile powers," Brigadier General Amir Hatami said in an interview with Tasnim news agency on Sunday.

“Today, all of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s missiles are precise [in hitting their targets] and enjoy the necessary explosive power to ensure the country’s defensive deterrence,” the defense minister said, adding that the country is in the best shape in terms of its defense and missile capabilities.

Hatami hailed the great efforts made by Iran’s defense industry experts and their defensive innovations, saying, “The country’s defense and missile industry designs and produces whatever we need and its products are used by the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Hatami’s remarks came on the same day that Commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Force Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari announced the test-firing of a medium-range smart missile that can fly as far as 300 kilometers (186 miles).

“The missile is prepared for deployment in defense of our homeland,” Heydari said, noting that the test-firing was aimed at gauging the missile's precision of strike and destruction power.

Iran engages in routine upgrading, testing, and meaningful display of its defensive might in line with regional and international developments.

In January, the Army and Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) staged around a dozen military maneuvers involving the full range of their forces and weaponry and covering huge swathes of the country’s expanse.

The drills came as the United States and some of its regional allies were flexing their military muscles in the Persian Gulf, including the deployment of military aircraft and vessels to the region.

While underlining the need to be vigilant against potential miscalculations, military officials have also reminded how such hyped-up maneuvering reflected the enemy's wariness in the face of the Islamic Republic’s firepower.

Iran in August unveiled a host of state-of-the-art defense achievements, including long-range ballistic and cruise missiles, designed and manufactured by experts at home as the Islamic Republic marks National Defense Industry Day.

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