Zeenews Bureau
Tehran: Despite tremendous international pressure, Iran on Tuesday successfully test fired dozens of short, medium and long-range missiles on the second day of a three-day military exercise.
As per reports, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard fired mainly domestically-produced missiles, including three types of Shahab missiles, as well as Fatehs, Qiyams and Zelzals.
The Iranian media claimed that these missiles targeted replicas of air bases owned by "trans-regional powers and the bases were modeled after those of the US.
On Sunday, Revolutionary Guards General Amir Ali Hajizadeh warned that the exercise, termed Great Prophet 7, should be seen as a message "that the Islamic Republic of Iran is resolute in standing up to... bullying, and will respond to any possible evil decisively and strongly."
“Any attack on Iran by Israel would be answered resolutely. If they take any action, they will hand us an excuse to wipe them off the face of the earth," Hajizadeh, head of the Guards' airborne division, was quoted as saying.
The threat against the Jewish state echoed words Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke in 2005, saying Israel "must be wiped off the page of time" - a phrase often translated as "wiped off the map" and cited by Israel to show how allowing Iran to get nuclear arms would be a threat to its existence.
Hajizadeh also said that Iran's ability to strike US bases in the Gulf protects Iran from US support for Israel.
"US bases in the region are within range of our missiles and weapons, and therefore they certainly will not cooperate with the regime (Israel)," he said.
With Agency Inputs
First Published: Tuesday, July 03, 2012, 13:19