Iran unveils new ballistic missile in show of force

TEHRAN:

Iran revealed a new ballistic missile on Sunday that it said was capable of travelling 1,700 kilometres, unveiling it in a Tehran ceremony attended by President Masoud Pezeshkian.

State television broadcast images of the missile, dubbed Etemad, or "trust" in Persian, saying it had a maximum range of 1,700 kilometres (1,056 miles) and was "the most recent ballistic missile" built by the Iranian defence ministry.

Western countries have grown concerned over advances in Iran's ballistic missile programme, accusing it of destabilising the Middle East.

Iran's missiles, including this newest design, are capable of reaching its arch-foe Israel, which it targeted twice last year as the Gaza war spilled over.

"The development of defence capabilities and space technologies... aims to ensure that no country dares to attack Iranian territory," Pezeshkian said in a televised address.

The ceremony took place on Iran's national aerospace day and a few days before the 46th anniversary of the creation of the Islamic republic on February 10, 1979.

Since the return of US President Donald Trump -- who pursued a "maximum pressure" approach to Iran in his first term -- Tehran has made multiple shows of force, including large-scale military exercises and the presentation of underground military bases.

At the same time, Tehran has signalled its willingness to restart negotiations over its nuclear programme, which has been the subject of tensions with Western countries for decades.

Iran, which once sourced the majority of its military equipment from its then-ally the United States, has been forced to develop its own weaponry since Washington cut off ties and imposed sanctions in the wake of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Having been under an arms embargo during a devastating war with Iraq between 1980 and 1988, Iran now has a substantial arsenal of domestically developed weapons, including missiles, air defence systems and drones.

After suffering back to back blows in Lebanon and Syria, Iran is attempting to regroup with reinventing its foreign policy. It is not only weighing options to strengthen relationships with unconventional partners but it is also trying to increase its military power.

Last week, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Kabul and held meeting with his counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi. It was the first high level official visit from Tehran to Kabul since Taliban came into power in 2021. During the meeting, Iran and Afghanistan vowed to continue expanding their cooperation.