Iran Tests Missile that Can Hit US and Israeli Bases

Iran escalated tension with the West and Israel Monday, claiming that it one of its warships successfully fired a long-range coast-to-sea “Qadr” missile that can hit Israel and the United States. The test was conducted as part of the Velayat-90 war games.

“The missile managed to hit the desired targets with precision and totally destroy them,” according to the official Iranian government IRNA news agency.

The missile test conducted was on the last day of the 10-day war exercise, which included maneuvers for the possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the passageway for between 20 and 40 percent of the world’s energy needs. President Barack Obama has vowed he will not allow Iran to close the waterway.

On Saturday, he also signed new sanctions against Iran and nations dealing with it, but the law including the sanctions contains a waiver allowing him to delay imposing them by giving other countries more time to break off dealing with the Central Bank of Iran and the country’s oil and gas sector.

Another official Iran news agency quoted navy spokesman Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi as saying, “From tomorrow morning (Monday), a vast majority of our naval units – surface and underwater, and aerial – will implement a new tactical formation, designed to make the passage of any vessel through the Strait of Hormuz impossible if the Islamic Republic of Iran’s navy so chooses.”