Posted on 02/22/2012 9:37:21 PM PST by U-238
Israel believes that within 2-3 years Iran will have intercontinental missiles able to hit the United States, an Israeli minister said in remarks aimed at raising awareness of the threat it believes a nuclear Iran would pose to the world.
Analysts now estimate the longest range of an Iranian missile to be about 2,400 km (1,500 miles), capable of reaching Tehran's arch-enemy Israel as well as Europe.
But Israel has also been keen to persuade any allies who do not share their view of the risk posed by Iran that an Islamic Republic with atom bombs would also threaten the West.
Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz's assessment, in an interview with CNBC, was in line with an unclassified U.S. Defense Department report in 2010 that estimated Iran may be able to build a U.S.-range missile by 2015.
"They (the Iranians) are working now and investing a lot of billions of dollars in order to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles," said Steinitz, a former chairman of the Israeli parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
The IAEA inspectors just in Iran were there to inspect the solid-fuel rocket facility at Parchin. They were quickly refused access.
Iran is going full speed to develop solid-fuel as that is the key to range-payload of their rockets.
The inspectors could have also noticed any, say, N Korean smiling faces at Parchin also.
Great. And we have that Dummkopf in the White House to protect us.
Actially, Iranian missile engineers has surpassed their North Korean counterparts.But looking North Korean satellite launch attempts, they used a satellite launcher that looks nothing like what we see in Iran. It was completely different, much bigger and heavier, and with three stages.
The Sajjil solid propellant missile is very difficult to guide and control. Iranian engineers are overcoming those problems by using a modified Shahab 3 guidance system with the the help of the N Koreans whom helped design the Shahab based on their No Dong 1.
You’re right about the launchers, that’s not something the N Koreans were ever focused on. Iran correctly saw how elusive Saddam’s SCUD launchers were and those that made it to Syria likely ended up in Iran. They would be hard to find and degrade if we ever have to go after them.
Thanks U-238.
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