United States confirms latest Iranian missile test

WASHINGTON: A US Defense official confirmed to Arab News that Iran fired a “defensive Mersad surface to air missile” on Wednesday, while making it clear that the Donald Trump administration is “watching and monitoring Iran’s military behavior carefully.”

The official said the missile was a short-range missile as opposed to the medium-range one it had launched 12 days ago.

It was



fired from the same launchpad Iran used on Jan. 29 and was put “on notice” thereafter, the US official said.

Wednesday’s test is not however seen by Washington as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions targeting Iran’s ballistic missile program.

Instead, US officials are viewing it in context of the anniversary of the Iranian revolution, which is marked by Iran Friday.