As part of the Islamic Revolution’s 40-year-anniversary celebrations, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Cops has unveiled an underground plant, which manufactures precision ballistic missiles for its Aerospace Division. In a video published by Iranian state television, the Revolutionary Guards also took the opportunity to reveal a new surface-to-surface ballistic missile, dubbed ‘Dezful,’ with a claimed range of 1,000 kilometers. In response to international criticism of Iran’s ballistic missile program, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, said that “Iran’s defensive capability is deterrent [in nature] and in line with preserving its national security, and it cannot be subjected to any transaction or negotiation.” Nevertheless, U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Robert Palladino said in response to the unveiling of the Islamic Republic’s new ballistic missile that “Iran’s blatant disregard for international norms must be addressed.” Palladino further stressed that “The United States will continue to be relentless in building support around the world to confront the Iranian regime’s reckless ballistic missile activity,” and that Washington “will continue to impose sufficient pressure on the regime so that it changes its malign behavior – including by fully implementing all of (the U.S.) sanctions.”
