On Saturday February 2, the regime in Tehran announced it has produced a new missile called “Hoveizeh-8” that has a maximum range of 1,300 kilometers from the Cruise missile family. Analysts believe that the new missile is copied from a similar Chinese model.
Cruise missiles are capable of delivering heavy payloads to far distances without leaving the atmosphere. Their low altitude and relatively low heat-producing engines helps them to largely avoid detection by conventional radars, and heat-locking anti-missile systems have a hard time to target them.
Iran’s latest announcement of the new missile is considered a direct response to the regime’s recent failures in testing ballistic missiles.
Iran’s state-run television gleefully broadcast the new missile on February 2 and reported: “Considerable advancements in Iranian missiles following production of ‘Hoveizeh’ Cruise missile! The Hoveizeh missile with a range of more than 1,300 kilometers is capable of destroying a wide spectrum of targets because it is tactical. Previously, the earth-to-earth missile named “Soumar” was announced in 2015 with a range of 700 kilometers.”
In this regard, Abdolrahim Mousavi, commander-in-chief of the Iranian regime’s Army, said: “Considering the time needed for the missile to become launch-ready, the very short time of its flight, the very low altitude and the great power of its warhead, it will be capable of increasing the defense capabilities of our country.”
Despite the regime’s continuous propaganda about its increasing defense capabilities and scientific breakthroughs, western experts believe that “Iran often exaggerates its weapons capabilities, although there are concerns about its long-range ballistic missiles,” Reuters reports.
Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization chief, who recently revealed the regime’s deception in the nuclear talks while boasting how the regime has concealed some of its nuclear capabilities from the International Atomic Energy Agency, ridiculously suggested that Iran could help neighboring countries in building their nuclear capabilities.
“The Atomic Energy Organization announced Iran’s readiness to build [nuclear] power plants in neighboring countries,” Iran’s official television reported.
“We are ready to design for them, deliver to them, and train them so they can produce their own radioactive and do the necessary tests,” Salehi added.
Fearing international repercussions, Hossein Salami, Deputy Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), tried to save face while downplaying the Iranian regime’s drive for long-range missiles and said: “If we limit the range of our missiles to a specific number, it’s because of our strategy,” according to Asr-e Iran website.
The main reason behind Iran’s recent muscle flexing is the mullahs’ desire to mask and cover up four decades of economic, political, and social failure. This is while ordinary Iranians can’t even afford to buy their daily food necessities such as a kilogram of meat (per month) or other food necessities.
Iran’s re-branding of Chinese and Korean missiles as domestic achievement on acquiring technologies and scientific breakthroughs also tell a story of an embattled ideology that fails to satisfy the popular Iranian opinion after four decades of economic mismanagement, nepotism, corruption, and kleptocracy.
