Iran has developed a cruise missile with a range of 1,650 km in a move likely to raise Western concerns after Russia's use of Iranian drones in the Ukraine conflict. The head of the Revolutionary Guards aerospace force, Amirali Hajizadeh, spoke of Iran's often repeated threat to avenge the US killing of a top Iranian commander saying “We are looking to kill Trump,”.
“Our cruise missile with a range of 1,650 km has been added to the missile arsenal of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Hajizadeh told state TV.
The television broadcast what it said was the first footage showing the new Paveh cruise missile. Hajizadeh said Iran did not intend to kill "poor soldiers"
when it launched a ballistic missile attack on U.S.-led forces in Iraq days after Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2020 in Baghdad, reported Reuters.
In the television interview, Hajizadeh said that "God willing, we are looking to kill Trump. (Former Secretary of State Mike) Pompeo ... and military commanders who issued the order (to kill Soleimani) should be killed."
The Iranian leaders have often vowed to avenge Soleimani in strong terms. Subsequently, Iran has expanded its missile programme, particularly ballistic missiles, in defiance of opposition from the United States and expressions of concern by European countries, reported Reuters.
Meanwhile, Tehran says the programme is purely defensive and of a deterrent nature. Iran has said it had supplied Moscow with drones before the war in Ukraine. Russia has used the drones to target power stations and civilian infrastructure.
In November, the Pentagon said the United States was sceptical of reports quoting Hajizadeh as saying Iran had developed a hypersonic ballistic missile, reported Reuters.
