Iran’s much-touted test launch of a new medium-range ballistic missile last Friday which prompted an angry response from President Donald Trump was a fake, it was reported on Monday.
The Iranian government on Friday released video footage of the supposed launch just hours after it displayed what it claimed to be a new type of missile at a military procession in the capital Tehran.
But the footage of the launch was more than seven months old, two US officials told Fox News on Monday.
On January 29, Iran carried out a test launch of a medium-range ballistic missile that exploded after 630 miles.
Iran’s much-touted test launch of a new medium-range ballistic missile last Friday which prompted an angry response from President Donald Trump was a fake, US officials say
The Iranian government on Friday released video footage of the supposed launch just hours after it displayed what it claimed to be a new type of missile at a military procession in the capital Tehran (above). But the footage of the launch was more than seven months old
The missile that Iran tested in January is a new model of the Khorramshahr medium-range ballistic missile
The test was carried out from a site near Semnan, east of Tehran. The US believes that the last time this type of missile was test launched was in July 2016.
The White House said it was aware that Iran had tested a missile.
Days after the missile test, the White House announced that it was putting Iran ‘on notice.’
The Iranian government’s announcement prompted Trump to tweet late Saturday: ‘Iran just test-fired a Ballistic Missile capable of reaching Israel. They are also working with North Korea. Not much of an agreement we have!’
Trump was referring indirectly to the nuclear accord which was agreed to by Iran as well as the United States, the other four permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, Germany, and the European Union.
The president has hinted for months that he is eager to pull the US out of the deal, which was negotiated by his predecessor, Barack Obama.
In a speech before world leaders at the United Nations last week, Trump referred to the nuclear agreement as ‘an embarrassment’ to the US.
President Donald Trump reacted angrily on Twitter to Iran’s announcement that it had launched a new ballistic missile
Trump also alluded to the Iran nuclear deal, signed by his predecessor, Barack Obama
‘We cannot let a murderous regime continue these destabilizing activities while building dangerous missiles, and we cannot abide by an agreement if it provides cover for the eventual construction of a nuclear program,’ he said.
Trump said publicly that he has already made a decision about whether he would withdraw from the nuclear accord, though he refused to reveal what he decided.
Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, took to the podium at the UN General Assembly one day after Trump.
Rouhani said that his country’s missile program was ‘solely defensive’ in nature.
‘We never threaten anyone, but we do not tolerate threats from anyone,’ he said.
In footage of the military parade in Tehran, Rouhani is seen observing as the Iranian armed forces show off their wares.
Previous Iranian missile launches have triggered US sanctions and accusations that they violate the spirit of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers.
The US president has threatened to declare Iran to be in breach of the 2015 deal unless it is expanded to punish Iran for pursuing a ballistic missile program and for sponsoring foreign militant groups.
Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani (seen last week at the UN General Assembly) said that his country’s missile program was ‘solely defensive’ in nature
On October 15, Trump is due to tell the US Congress whether he is ready to recertify Iran’s compliance with the 2015 deal. If he refuses to do so, it could open the door to renewed US sanctions and the collapse of the deal.
The missile that Iran tested is a new model of the Khorramshahr medium-range ballistic missile.
It is based on North Korea’s BM-25 Musudan ballistic missile, which has a maximum range of nearly 2,500 miles.
If Iran successfully tests the missile, it could threaten American troops as well as pro-American governments in the Middle East.
Initially, after the test, Iran claimed that the range of the missile is 1,250 miles. But the real range is twice that.
‘I am not sure why the Iranians are lying about the range,’ one US official told Fox News.
‘I think they don’t want to piss the Europeans off.’