Iran Test Fires the “Altar” Radar Evading Surface to Air Missile


Iran claims to have fires a highly advanced surface to air missile known as the “Altar” or “Mehrab” today in the Persian Gulf. Iran has been practicing naval maneuvers in the strategic waterway all week in response to what it says are aggressive western policies against the Islamic Republic.

Iran has threatened in recent days to close the Straights of Hormuz, the area in the Persian Gulf in which 1/6th of the entire world’s oil supply transits. The US and its allies have repeatedly told Iran that closing the Straights would be considered a redline that would bring about a Western military response.

Iran seemed to have backed off the threat in recent days as the commander of the drills Rear Adm. Mahmoud Mousavi was quoted by the state television in Iran as saying:

“We won’t disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. We are not after this”

Several Iranian lawmakers had a differing point of view. Fox News is reporting that Iranian lawmaker, Ismail Kowsari had the following to say:

“Iran’s armed forces have practiced operations to close the Strait of Hormuz several times. If we feel that the enemies want to prevent our oil exports, definitely we will close the Strait of Hormuz”

The tension in Iran is over its nuclear program, which Iran insists is for power generation and is entirely peaceful. The West says that Iran is in the process of building a nuclear weapon and will stop Iran at any costs. Intelligence estimates say that Iran could assemble an atomic weapon in less than a year.

Do you think Iran is developing nuclear weapons?

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