Iran unveils new missile system

Iran has unveiled new missile and artillery systems today, Fars News Agency reported. The systems were unveiled during military exercises in order to "display the full strength and preparedness of Iran's air defense forces during the air to defend the Islamic Republic's Eastern borders," as the Fars News Agency puts it.

But Reuters describes the missile unveiling as something a little more aggressive: to send a warning to those threatening the Islamic Republic. The three domestically-built missile and artillery systems would be a "significant boost" to Iran's military defenses, according to Farzad Esmaili, head of Iran's air defense headquarters.

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"The low-altitude missile system 'Ya Zahra 3' is completely indigenous and Iranian and has been designed and produced to suit internal needs," Esmaili told the Iranian Students' News Agency.

According to The Tehran Times, the artillery system can hit targets with pinpoint accuracy and cannot be detected by the enemy’s tracking systems.

It is perhaps no coincidence that today Israel also announced new missile plans. Israel's newest missile defense system, which is designed to protect people from enemy fire, is set to be deployed in 2014, the Associated Press reported today.