Iran’s military threat – the weapons Rouhani can bring to bear down on the USA
WITH Donald Trump’s latest tweet increasing fears he could be poised to invade Iran, analysts have warned that the Middle Eastern country boasts a well-equipped military quite capable of putting up stubborn resistance.
Iran test precision-guided ballistic missile in 2015
However, Mr Rouhani has at his disposal four dangerous weapons should Mr Trump decide to act on his threats, while the Global Fire Power (GFP) website ranks Iran as number 13 in its list of 136 countries considered for its annual review.
The Sejjil-1 missile system and its successor, the Sejjil-2, are based on North Korean designs.
The Sejjil is a two-stage, medium range surface-to-surface ballistic missile which Iran first tested in 2008.
It is solid-filled, significantly reducing launch time while enhancing its mobility.
In 2009, then-US defence secretary Robert Gates said both had a range of up to more than 1,500 miles.
According to the Global Security website: “The Sejjil-2 has an demonstrated range capability of 2,510 kilometers with its 650 kilogram tri-conic warhead re-entry vehicle design.
“It can also carry a 1,000 kilogram warhead to 2,000 kilometers.”
Iran also has at its disposal a growing fleet of 150-ton Ghadir-class midget submarines, also variants on North Korean designs.
Difficult to detect by radar, these patrol the strategically important Straits of Hormuz, armed with torpedoes and capable of laying mines.
The Khalij-e Fars anti-ship ballistic missile (ASMB) system, sometimes referred to as the “carrier-filler) has a range of 200miles.
Iranian media outlets have claimed it is “most advanced and most important missile of the IRGC Navy” which “finds the target through a smart program, locks on the target and hit it.”
In addition, despite the objections of the United States and others, in 2016 Iran purchased Russia’s S-300 missile system, taking possession of its first shipment in 2016.
Described by the Russians as a ”highly capable, long-range surface-to-air missile” system, it was developed by the Soviet Union in 1979, but has been upgraded many times since.
The GFP assessment suggests Iran has 534,000 active military personnel, plus 400,000 reserves.
It also has 505 military aircraft at its disposal, including 150 fighters, and 1,650 tanks, as well as five frigates and three corvettes.