On November 26, Deputy Commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Hossein Salami, warned that Iran will increase the range of its ballistic missiles to over 2,000km if Europe becomes a threat to Iran, according to the Iranian Fars agency.
The senior IRGC commander revealed that Iran already has the needed technology to extend the range of its ballistic missiles. However, Tehran does not see this as a necessity now.
“If we have kept the range of our missiles to 2,000 kilometers, it’s not due to lack of technology. … We are following a strategic doctrine … So far we have felt that Europe is not a threat, so we did not increase the range of our missiles. But if Europe wants to turn into a threat, we will increase the range of our missiles,” Brig. Gen. Salami said according to Fars.
Brig. Gen. Salami statement is likely a reponse to the November 9 statement of French President Emmanuel Macron, in which he called for a negotiations with Iran over its ballistic missile program and even threatened Tehran with sanctions.
“Like what was done in 2015 for the nuclear activities, it’s necessary to put a framework in place for Iran’s ballistic activities and open a process, with sanctions if needed, of negotiation that would enable [an agreement],” Macron said.
However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi rejected Macron’s proposal and said that “Iran’s defense affairs are not negotiable”.
Lately, the US and Saudi Arabia accused Iran of supplying long-range ballistic missiles to the Houthis in Yemen. An accusation that was seen by many experts as a propaganda stunt aimed at pressuring Iran to give up its ballistic missile program, which is considered the biggest threat to Israel.
