Iran’s defense ministry boasts of capabilities of ‘Israel-striker’ missiles

Iran’s defense ministry on Monday boasted of its missiles’ capability of striking Israel.

Defense ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik asserted that Tehran was “the region’s prime [military] power.”

“Today, we have missiles at our disposal that we have named ‘Israel-striker’ missiles,” Talaei-Nik said.

He cited one such weapon as the Martyr Haj Qassem missile, named after slain Islamic Revolutionary Guard commander Qassem Soleimani, which Iran claims has a range of 1,400 kilometers and can deliver a payload of 500 kilograms of explosives.

A day earlier, Iran’s President Ibrahim Raisi said Jerusalem’s efforts to normalize relations with regional powers, Saudi Arabia among them, would fail.

Speaking with CNN, Raisi argued that the Abraham Accords — under which Israel established ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrai and Morocco — did not symbolize true acceptance of Israel in the region by the people.

“People in those countries… have a great deal of hate for the Israeli actions and this was only obtained under American pressure,” Raisi said.

“This normalization will see no success.”

Friday saw Iran display what it claimed to be “the longest-range drone in the world” during a military parade that featured banners threatening Israel.

The drone was one of a number of unnamed aerial vehicles and missiles that Iranian forces showed off at an event in Tehran marking the anniversary of the bloody Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, and came weeks after Iran unveiled a drone it claimed could remain airborne for 24 hours.

State media reports on the parade did not provide details on “the longest-range drone in the world.” Iran has previously made dubious and exaggerated claims regarding its military capabilities and there was no independent confirmation of the announcement.

Friday’s parade also featured large signs declaring “Down with Israel” and “Down with USA,” as well as posters in Hebrew and English warning Israelis to “prepare your shelters.”

Agencies contributed to this report.