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Iran to Conduct Long-Range Missile Test on Yom Kippur
In the course of a missile drill code-named "Great Prophet 4", which will begin tomorrow and continue through Yom Kippur, Iran will test fire long range missiles. The drill has suspiciously been timed to take place in the wake of the discovery of another nuclear power plant in Iran. The Guards' Air Force Commander, General Hossein Salami, said that the drill is a defensive action, and that its objective is to "present the will of the great Iranian nation and to safeguard its revolutionary and national aspirations."
The Revolutionary Guard of Iran will begin a broad military exercise tomorrow, which will include testing of long and short range missiles. The maneuver, codenamed "Great Prophet 4", will begin tomorrow, and continue until after the conclusion of Yom Kippur. The exercise has been described as "defensive" in nature, according to a statement issued by the Revolutionary Guard of Iran.
Iran claims that the exercise is an annual drill which was planned well in advance. But in the world's eyes, the timing of the drill suspiciously coincides with last week's discovery that Iran has constructed another uranium enrichment facility on a military base near Qom. That finding has generated much criticism from the international community.
"The drill is a defensive action and its objective is to present the will of the great Iranian nation and to safeguard its revolutionary and national aspirations," said General Hossein Salami, Air Force Commander of the Revolutionary Guard, and in charge of the Iranian weapons arsenal.
The General also said that the exercise will "assess the technical abilities and development recently undertaken in respect to the Revolutionary Guard."
Western powers are interpreting the drill as a subtle message to the world that President Ahmadinejad does not intend to comply with nuclear development restrictions imposed on Iran thus far.
The exercise will begin tomorrow, Erev Yom Kippur, and "will continue for several days and include several phases where a number of missiles are fired simultaneously to predetermined targets."