Free Republic

Iran claims its new solid-fuel ballistic missile can evade radar detection. The Defense Ministry said the Sejil-2 was coated with an unidentified material that could foil detection by long-range radar. A senior official said the coating was one of several elements added to the intermediate-range ballistic missile to prevent radar detection. U.S. government sources have dismissed the Iranian claim. The sources said the U.S. intelligence community tracked the flight of Sejil-2 from launch without disruption.

The report described the launch of an "improved Sejil 2 missile" as successful and said the missile had a range greater than 1,250 miles — putting Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf within reach. The launch came after Israel's military intelligence chief said Tuesday that Iran is close to a "technological breakthrough" that would enable it to build nuclear weapons. Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin said Iran has enough nuclear material for a warhead and is close to being able to build one. He didn't specify the new technology or say when he expects Iran to reach such a capability....

A campaigning President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tells a rally that the missile hit its target. The Sejil-2 reportedly has a range of 1,200 miles and incorporates advanced technology. Reporting from Beirut — Iran's president announced the successful test launch of an advanced surface-to-surface solid-fuel missile Wednesday that could reach Israel and other potential targets across the Middle East. Iranian state television showed the blue rocket rising from a sunny desert, surrounded by the red, white and green flags of the Islamic Republic. Iran has long had missiles that could reach Israel and the Persian Gulf states where the U.S. maintains several...