Iran carries out long range missile test: Israel

Jerusalem, May 24 : Iran carried out a test on a long range missile, an Israeli security source said, while Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was in Washington for talks with President George W Bush.

The source said Iran had carried out a test with a long range land-to-land missile yesterday.

The exact range was not known, but the source added the testing did not appear to represent any technological advancement. The last test was believed to have been conducted in January, the source said.

Iranian officials were not immediately available for comment and there was no confirmation from elsewhere.

Western nations have been watching developments in Iran's missile capabilities with concern amid a standoff over the Iranian nuclear programme, which the West says is aimed at building atomic bombs.

Iran, the world's fourth largest producer of crude oil, says its nuclear programme is a peaceful project to provide electricity. The United States has said it wants a diplomatic solution to the standoff but has not ruled out military action.

The timing of the testing comes as Olmert met with Bush yesterday, in his first visit to Washington, for discussions on Iran and Israeli-Palestinian relations. The United States is expected to pressure Israel to hold ''serious talks'' with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Both the United States and Israel are worried about the Prospects of a nuclear-armed Iran.

Military experts say Iran's Shahab-3 missiles have a maximum range of some 2,000 km with nuclear warheads, meaning Israel, US bases in the Gulf and foreign troops in Iraq lie within their range.

The Israeli source said yestersday's missile testing did not extend the range of the Shahab-3.

Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear power in the Middle East. It has said it wants to take a back seat in international diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iranian crisis but views seriously Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's calls for its destruction.

Security sources said earlier yesterday Israel has sped up efforts to develop long-range cruise missiles of a type that could be used in any strike against Iran's nuclear programme.

Israel sent warplanes to destroy Iraq's main atomic reactor at Osiraq in 1981 and has not ruled out similar actions to prevent its arch-foe from getting the bomb should U S-led diplomatic pressure on Tehran fail.

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