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Posted at 5:57 a.m., Thursday, August 23, 2007

Iran allegedly has developed powerful 'guided bomb'

News Release

Aug. 23 — Iran has developed an intelligent guided bomb that is among the most modern and powerful munitions in the world, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency said.

The Ghased, or "Messenger" bomb is an airplane-mounted weapon that will become operational next week, the agency said.

The weapon is a 2,000-pound (900 kilogram) device that can be dropped from the Islamic Republic's aging, U.S.-made F-4 and F-5 fighter jets, the Associated Press reported, citing Iranian state television.

Iran, which the U.S. accuses of fomenting violence in neighboring Iraq and of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon, has announced a range of advances in its arsenal over the last year, including the successful test-firing in February of a land-to-sea missile with a range of 350 kilometers (217 miles) and the ability to carry a 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) warhead.

The Islamic Republic is self-sufficient in the production of all types of military equipment, IRNA reported, citing comments today by Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar.

The defense ministry is producing missiles, armored vehicles, ammunition, artillery, warships, submarines, warplanes and unmanned drones, IRNA cited Mohammad-Najjar as saying in Bushehr on the country's southwestern coast.

The defense minister said Persian Gulf states should assume responsibility for the region's security.

"Foreign forces should leave the Persian Gulf," Mohammad- Najjar said. "Security of this waterway should be established" by countries with Gulf coastlines, he added.

Aircraft Carrier

The U.S. Navy has an aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise, on duty in the Gulf. The Strait of Hormuz at the eastern end of the Gulf is the sea route for two-fifths of the world's daily supply of crude oil.

The naval presence is to support U.S. military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as to "counter the assertive, disruptive and coercive behavior of some countries," Vice Admiral Kevin Cosgriff said last month.

The U.S. yesterday dismissed as inadequate an agreement between United Nations nuclear inspectors and Iranian diplomats that established a timetable for Iran to answer questions about its atomic program.

The U.S. will push "very, very hard" in September for the Security Council to impose more sanctions on Iran, U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said Aug. 21 in Washington, reasserting that military power may be used to stop Iranian nuclear work.

"We've never taken the military option off the table, but we certainly prefer and are dedicated to a peaceful diplomatic solution," he said.