Iran Unveils Second Underground "Missile City" In Further Humiliation For Obama
Back in October, Iran put the Obama administration in a tough spot. Tehran test-fired a next generation, surface-to-surface ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
The new weapon - dubbed “Emad” - is capable of hitting arch nemesis Israel and although the launch didn’t violate the letter of the nuclear accord, it did apparently violate a UN resolution and that, in turn, prompted a number of US lawmakers to call for a fresh set of sanctions on Tehran.
Of course this isn’t the best time to be slapping the Iranians with more sanctions, which is presumably why The White House delayed a decision on the matter last week.
First, the implementation of the nuclear deal is supposed to bring sanctions relief for Tehran. Any new punitive measures will jeopardize the agreement. If the deal falls apart, it would be a severe blow to Obama’s presidential legacy.
Furthermore, heightened tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia in connection with the latter’s decision to execute a prominent Shiite cleric, have plunged the Muslim world into chaos. Were the US to hit Iran with sanctions now, it might very well come across as a kind of backdoor way of supporting the Saudi position in the middle of a worsening diplomatic crisis.
Knowing that Washington is in a bind, the Iranians have pushed ahead with their vaunted ballistic missile program. As we’ve noted on a number of occasions, Iran has one of the largest ballistic missile arsenals in the Middle East. Here’s the breakdown courtesy of the US Institute Of Peace:
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Shahab missiles: Since the late 1980s, Iran has purchased additional short- and medium-range missiles from foreign suppliers and adapted them to its strategic needs. The Shahabs, Persian for “meteors,” were long the core of Iran’s program. They use liquid fuel, which involves a time-consuming launch. They include:
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The Shahab-1 is based on the Scud-B. (The Scud series was originally developed by the Soviet Union). It has a range of about 300 kms or 185 miles
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The Shahab-2 is based on the Scud-C. It has a range of about 500 kms, or 310 miles. In mid-2010, Iran is widely estimated to have between 200 and 300 Shahab-1 and Shahab-2 missiles capable of reaching targets in neighboring countries.
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The Shahab-3 is based on the Nodong, which is a North Korean missile. It has a range of about 900 km or 560 miles. It has a nominal payload of 1,000 kg. A modified version of the Shahab-3, renamed the Ghadr-1, began flight tests in 2004. It theoretically extends Iran’s reach to about 1,600 km or 1,000 miles, which qualifies as a medium-range missile. But it carries a smaller, 750-kg warhead.
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Although the Ghadr-1 was built with key North Korean components, Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani boasted at the time, “Today, by relying on our defense industry capabilities, we have been able to increase our deterrent capacity against the military expansion of our enemies.”
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Sajjil missiles: Sajjil means “baked clay” in Persian. These are a class of medium-range missiles that use solid fuel, which offer many strategic advantages. They are less vulnerable to preemption because the launch requires shorter preparation – minutes rather than hours. Iran is the only country to have developed missiles of this range without first having developed nuclear weapons.
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This family of missiles centers on the Sajjil-2, a domestically produced surface-to-surface missile. It has a medium-range of about 2,000 km or 1,200 miles when carrying a 750-kg warhead. It was test fired in 2008 under the name, Sajjil. The Sajjil-2, which is probably a slightly modified version, began test flights in 2009. This missile would allow Iran to “target any place that threatens Iran,” according to Brig. Gen. Abdollah Araghi, a Revolutionary Guard commander.
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The Sajjil-2, appears to have encountered technical issues and its full development has slowed. No flight tests have been conducted since 2011. IfSajjil-2 flight testing resumes, the missile’s performance and reliability could be proven within a year or two. The missile, which is unlikely to become operational before 2017, is the most likely nuclear delivery vehicle—if Iran decides to develop an atomic bomb. But it would need to build a bomb small enough to fit on the top of this missile, which would be a major challenge.
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The Sajjil program’s success indicates that Iran’s long-term missile acquisition plans are likely to focus on solid-fuel systems. They are more compact and easier to deploy on mobile launchers. They require less time to prepare for launch, making them less vulnerable to preemption by aircraft or other missile defense systems.
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Iran could attempt to use Sajjil technologies to produce a three-stage missile capable of flying 3,700 km or 2,200 miles. But it is unlikely to be developed and actually fielded before 2017.
In fact, Iran's missile cache is so large, they're running out of places to "hide" them. "We lack enough space in our stockpiles to house our missiles," General Hossein Salami said on Friday. "Hundreds of long tunnels are full of missiles ready to fly to protect your integrity, independence and freedom," he added.
Yes, "hundreds of tunnels", like those we highlighted in "Caught On Tape: Inside Iran's Secret Underground Missile Tunnels."
The video shown above was first shown on the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) channel whose cameras were permitted inside the underground base.
“Those who threaten Iran with their military option on the table would better take a look at Iran’s ‘options under the table,’ namely the missile arsenals. Iran’s known military power is only the tip of the iceberg," the Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh told reporters.
On Tuesday, we got a look at yet another Iranian "missile city" when Speaker of the Parliament Ali Larijani inaugurated a new site. Here's footage from the event:
As Middle East Eye reports, the new "city" will be used to store the Emad: "Iran's military has revealed a secret underground 'missile city' used to store a new generation of ballistic missiles which the US says are 'nuclear capable' and whose test-firing last year broke a UN resolution." Here's more:
The Revolutionary Guards Corps on Tuesday released pictures and video of the underground bunker after a visit by Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani.
Iran's Tasnim news agency said the bunker, which it dubbed a 'missile city', stores the Emad ballistic missile, which has a range of 2,000km and was first successfully tested on October 10. The US says the missiles are advanced enough to be fitted with nuclear warheads.
It is the second such bunker to be publicised in three months, after the Guards in October revealed a facility dug into an unnamed mountain to store and protect Iran's advanced weaponry.
Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Guards's aerospace division, said the facility was only one of many bases scattered across the country.
The publicising of the existence of the bunker comes at a sensitive time in relations between Iran and world powers, who signed an agreement in July to largely curtail Iran's nuclear ambitions.
And that, in short, should tell you everything you need to know about the degree to which Tehran is prepared to negotiate with Washington vis-a-vis the country's ballistic missile program.
Iran has always maintained its missile arsenal is for defensive purposes only and thus represents a completely legitimate effort to protect the country from the myriad hostile states in the region. The events that unfolded over the weekend underscore why Tehran is so keen on bolstering its defenses.
But defensive or no, the video shown above represents yet another slap in the face for the Obama administration and will only serve to infuriate already irate lawmakers in the US who, unlike the administration, aren't in the mood to make any new "friends" in the Mid-East.
(8 votes)
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Humiliation? This is what he wanted. Dreams of his father.
Actually I thought his father dreamed of getting drunk and abusing his wifes. Also fucking various white women, married or not.
Except for the "abusing" part, I think EVERY man dreams of those things....
Not to be confused with Missile City Bar & Grill found on Castro Street in San Francisco.
I suspect that they are referring to a different kind of missile on Castro Street.
OGolfer couldnt care less. Its his last year and he's going to spend as much taxpayer money as possible on vacations, golf, and takin the evil white man guns
ONE more President "action" please on gun Control...it would save A LOT of lives...Black Lives Matter!...ban all gun/ammo sales to blacks!..he could use Chitcago as a testbed...
One day these will all be going to Isreal.....they have said so
I cannot wait!
A REAL holocaust for once!
Isreal has said so.
Iran, not so much unless provoked.
But is Saudi going it alone with its taunting of Iran? OR does it taunt with aproval from Isreal?
Looks to me as if the Saudi regime is getting a bit isolated and very vulnerable.
This is an ordinary lie.
Umm, if this "deal" holds together it'll be the same result. This guy is amazing in a way - his two biggest "achievements", Obamacare and the Iran deal, are disasters whether they fall apart or remain intact. I'm not even sure how that's possible. It's like quantum states of political suck.
*Don't forget turning the "Executive Order" into a fantasy wish list.
This is interesting, youself. Tried to upvote you, and could not. Tech glitch, I guess!
Italics blocks vote...
No, it is block quoting that causes the problem. Block quoted text appears as italic text.
You know he just does what he's told right? Neither of those bits of legislation were failures, BTW. They are performing precisely as intended.
Get a clue... they're not idiots. They want you to think they are because otherwise you realize that their interests are simply not yours.
"This guy is amazing in a way - his two biggest "achievements", Obamacare and the Iran deal, are disasters whether they fall apart or remain intact. I'm not even sure how that's possible."
Schrobama!
Iran's like a barking cocker spaniel. Lots of barking but a very mild bite.
Iran fought a long war with Iraq and basically only managed to defend itself.
The US military made Iraqi military look like girl scouts. ....twice.
Is there any doubt that if the US really went after Iran militarily the results would be any different than against Iraq???
A better comparison would be Afghanistan : where there are no winners EVER.
US committed a warcrime first and they are yet to pay for it. They burnt Iraqi captured soldiers which is also against International Law. But Empire never follows rules it rolls.
Iraq is a flat desert. Iran is mountains.
Tanks and aircraft are of far more limited use.
The Girl Scouts are seriously well organized, mission-oriented and peaceful, so your comparison to Iraqi military is kinda stupid.
If you duct tape enough estes rockets together you can make them "nuclear capable". It's not really a reason to get panties all in a bunch. Iran certainly has reason to prepare to defend their country. Every human being or country has the innate right to truly defend themselves from attack. It's unfortunate that Israel and the US continues going around looking for people minding their own business then shooting them in the fucking face. That's not defense; that is offense.
The doublespeak, it hurts.
"The US says the missiles are advanced enough to be fitted with Vulcan Death Grip©."
*duck tape
For a second I thought this was North Korea.
Oh, wait- this is the political posturing that nation-states do.
Nevermind.
When I saw the picture, right away the Stars Wars music went through my head of Darth's Death Star inspection.
well, it took nearly 100 yrs before the true history behind WW1 was revealed......but let me take a stab in the dark hear and guess that the same vermin behind both world wars will be behind WW3........
''The History of the First World War is a deliberately concocted lie. Not the sacrifice, the heroism, the horrendous waste of life or the misery that followed. No, these were very real, but the truth it all began and how it was unnecessarily prolonged beyond 1915 has been successfully covered up for a century. Throughout the centenary years we will vigorously challenge the received history of the war, and the plethora of newspaper articles and television programmes cobbled together and repackaged by the establishment media to complement that history. We will unmask every lie and present hard factual evidence that clearly demonstrates how a secret cabal of elites in Britain were responsible for the tragedy as it unfolded.''
http://www.ww1hiddenhistory.co.uk/home.html
Thank you for that.
++
Why does all this blustering have a very Kim Jong Un feel to it? I don't blame the Iranians for wanting to beef up their military when they have a giant lumbering retard like the U.S fucking up the Middle East, but why be so braggadocios? Keep your shit a secret and if the retard bully invades your space, punch him in the nose.
Iran doesn't want a war waged on their soil against their people, and they're trying like Hell to convince the bullies that the risks of starting a bar brawl with them are not worth any potential payoff.
yep...islam the religion of peace spreading across the mideast?
What are you smoking?
Sanctions, gold...full knowlege.
General Hossein Salami. Is that code for diktatorinchief?
How can Obama be humiliated by this when he is one of them?
Akbar Obama - very fitting
Is the West (read moslty US) destablizing the world? Are our State Department/NSA crusades out of control? Do we have a God/superiority complex that has permeated our leadership (all agencies) and become so systemic it cannot be recognized? Or is all of this just the way of man, all but certain men, to reach for the powers of an Akhenaten, the people only tools. Or is the West trying to stop such out of control power? Or is it all of the above? It is all so sobering to think of the military might that could be released on us all?
Yes, Yes, Yes, No, No, No in that order.
How can you not fucking love this and "laugh" your ass off at how unbelievably stupid the U.S. U.K. and Israel, has been?...
First Place in total "shame" for all of the time, money and waste in energy, resources human lives and above all "time" though subversion coercion and murder that has bankrupted our economies for doing so in ALL of these misadventures...
Maybe the golfer in chief can take his frustration out on a few militia involving a dispute over some cows. if he wins that one, he'll get his third term for sure.
A well-produced movie
Rommel did it in the desert to fool the British by parading the same troops over and over again in a circle. The Soviets did it in bragging about their missles with the same parade tricks; they in fact barely had 5 missles that worked and said they had 100's all aimed at the US.
Any time someone brags about a secret, they are full of bull shit. If it were a secret you wouldn't know. If it were real they would show you everything.
And Obama bin Laden...stupid and a traitor who hates White people with a passion.
It should not be lost that the most likely reason for Iran's newfound 'confidence' comes as a direct result of warmer relations with Russia, and the latest humiliation that took place in Moscow just a few days ago with the U.S. secretary of state. There is something going on with Russia's military capabilities that has Wolfowitz planners and Ukrainian-cum-AIPAC lobbyists very worried.
The contract for the supply of the S-300 system is resumed now sanctions have been lifted.
https://z5h64q92x9.net/proxy_u/ru-en.en/bmpd.livejournal.com/1570067.html
Iran has cancelled its legal claim against Russia for breach of contract.
http://fortruss.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/iran-confirms-withdrawal-of-lawsu...
Note these are upgraded S-300PMU-2 systemss as the S-300 is now quite old.
Literally, a year ago we were told the missiles were cleared to be delivered. Nope.
A couple months ago they said the missiles would be in Iran within 2 months. Nope.
The other week we were told they would NOW be delivered. Nope, not yet. It is simple, drive them into a military cargo plane and they are there right away. Now they hint that pieces are in Iran, like the spare tires or something.
And as you said - "is resumed now sanctions have been lifted" You mean NATO sanctions? So Putin is their bitch and all they have to do is reapply the sanctions and Putin will obey. Or do you mean UN sanctions that Russia either voted for or consented to by not voting against them?
And were are the missiles promised to Syria and contracted for in 2007? Nope.
Obama comes to this as a Sunni just like nearly all of Iran. How would he possibly be humiliated? This is the plan people. Have you heard him walk back anything on his deal? Nope.
Iran is majority Shia, not Sunni, nitwit.
http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user92183/imageroot/...
too bad they are not nukes... Iran needs defence against angry zionists
I'm pretty sure the Mossad knows exactly what Iran has, I would consider they (the Mossad) may not have bothered telling Obama.
But there are no secrets in Iran.