From the Liveblog of
Saturday, February 17, 2024
Iran unveils new air defense weaponry as regional tensions ramp up
Iran unveils new weaponry including what it says was the locally made Arman anti-ballistic missile system and the Azarakhsh low-altitude air defense system, the official IRNA news agency reports.
The announcement comes amid heightened tensions in the region, with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels carrying out a string of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, claiming the move is a show of solidarity with the Gaza Strip.
The unveiling ceremony of the two vehicle-mounted systems takes place in the presence of Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani.
“With the entry of new systems into the country’s defense network, the air defense capability of the Islamic Republic of Iran will increase significantly,” IRNA says.
It said the Arman missile system “can simultaneously confront six targets at a distance of 120 to 180 km,” while the Azarakhsh missile system “can identify and destroy targets… up to a range of 50 km with four ready-to-fire missiles.”
In June Iran presented what officials described as its first domestically made hypersonic ballistic missile, named Fattah, with a range of 1,400 km.
