July 21, 2003	Monday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 20, 1424

TEHRAN, July 20: Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday inaugurated a new ballistic missile that brings Israel within range of the Iran hailing the event as a key moment in the defence of the Palestinian cause.

“Today our people and our armed forces are ready to defend their goals anywhere,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a ceremony for the elite Revolutionary Guards carried on state television.

“This divine force has answered all threats, and we are witnessing today that this divine force is now doing the same for the Lebanese and the Palestinian people,” he added in the ceremony to bring the Shahab-3 missile into service.

Television pictures showed Khamenei flanked by officers and other clerics, at least 1,000 troops in ceremonial dress, and three of the Shahab-3 rockets on what appeared to be mobile launchers.

The report said the Revolutionary Guards who have their own air force, which is separate from Iran’s regular army and reports directly to Khamenei, were also given some new but unidentified attack and transport helicopters as well as an undisclosed number of Russian-built Sukhoi-25 Frogfoot close support aircraft.

Television did not say how many new missiles, aircraft and helicopters were now at the Revolutionary Guards’ disposal.

The armed forces “are ready to confront the enemy with a strong will wherever it is necessary,” television quoted Khamenei as saying at the ceremony.

Yahya Rahim-Safavi, the head of the Revolutionary Guards, said in his speech during the ceremony in Tehran that his force was now “ready to defend Iran against any threat”.

Iran announced earlier this month it had successfully completed tests on the Shahab-3, which analysts say is based on the North Korean Nodong-1 missile but has been improved with Russian technology. Its range is about 1,300 kms.

ISRAELI FEARS: In Al Quds, Israel said that the missile represented a threat to the whole of the Middle East.

The Shahab-3 missile, that brings Israel within range of the Islamic republic, and Iran’s nuclear potential “is a threat not only to Israel but to the whole region and also to Europe,” foreign ministry spokesman David Saranga told AFP.—AFP/Reuters