Iran says enhanced missiles could destroy Tel Aviv, Haifa

NICOSIA — Iran claims to have reached the capability to destroy
Israeli cities.

Officials said the Iranian military has enhanced its ballistic missile
arsenal that could target major Israeli cities. They said Teheran has tested
indigenous missiles and rockets with enhanced guidance systems.

“We enjoy the needed level of preparedness to put this statement into
action in the shortest time possible if the enemy makes a foolish move,”
Iranian Deputy Chief of Staff Gen. Mohammed Hejazi said.

In a briefing on April 15, Hejazi, in charge of defense research, said
Iran could fire missiles that could destroy Haifa and Tel Aviv. He said
Iran’s military has deterred Israel and the West from attacking Teheran’s
nuclear facilities.

Hejazi was speaking as Iran tested several indigenous missiles and
rockets, including an enhanced variant of the Fajr-5. Fajr-5, with a range
of nearly 80 kilometers, was fired by Hamas and Islamic Jihad in attacks on Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in November 2012.

“Israel’s leaders sometimes threaten Iran, but they know that if they do
a damn thing, the Islamic republic will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the
ground,” Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei said.

On April 16, Iran said it fired a new ballistic missile in the Gulf. The
Defense Ministry said the land-to-sea missile could destroy any warship.

“The Defense Ministry has been able to test a new missile in the Persian
Gulf that has a high ability to hit targets,” Iranian Deputy Defense
Minister Majid Bokaei said. “This new missile, which has been equipped with
a surface-to-surface missile system, exits the atmosphere after being
launched, re-enters it at high speed, and completely destroys the target
vessel or warship.”

World Tribune