Iran Preparing For War? Hormuz-2 Ballistic Missile Successfully Test-Fired

Iran’s elite revolutionary guards have successfully test-fired a domestically built ballistic missile as tensions escalate between Tehran and Washington, according to a report published Thursday.

The Hormuz-2 ballistic missile destroyed a floating target from a distance of over 150 miles in the test carried out by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) forces, Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh of the IRGC said in a speech, Iran’s state-run Tasnim News Agency reported.

Similar to the Khalij-e-Fars (Persian Gulf) ballistic missile in appearance, the Hormuz-2 is also a naval ballistic missile that is capable of hitting floating targets from a range of 300 kilometers with high accuracy.

Read: Tehran Successfully Tests Russian S-300 Missile System During Drills

Iran also recently tested a S-300 surface-to-air missile defense system, which it acquired from Russia, days after Iranian boats forced the USNS Invincible, accompanied by three British Royal Navy ships, to change its course by sailing within 600 yards of the naval ship, according to U.S. officials.

The Islamic Republic also tested a Khorramshahr medium-range ballistic missile in January, facing flak from many in the West who claimed that it was in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution. The country, however, countered by saying that the tests were within the resolution’s boundaries as they were not designed to carry a nuclear warhead.

In the face of escalating tensions, Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehqan Monday said that Iran’s military is capable of surprising enemies if struck. However, the country maintains that its defense program is based entirely on deterrence and does not intend on posing a threat to any country in the region.

President Donald Trump has taken a strong stand against Iran’s missile tests, imposing new economic sanctions on the Middle-Eastern country after the January test, on Feb.3. In a post on Twitter the same day, the president wrote, “ Iran is playing with fire — they don't appreciate how ‘kind’ President [Barack] Obama was to them. Not me!”