Iran army tests missiles in wargames

TEHRAN, Aug 20 (Reuters) Iran's army has fired tactical missiles and will test surface-to-sea missiles during Iranian army wargames today, state television reported.

Iran's army launched wargames in the south of the country yesterday and said new, Iranian-built equipment would be tested.

It did not say how long the wargames will last.

Tactical surface-to-surface Iranian-made Saeqa (Thunderbolt) missiles, with a range of 80-250 km, were tested on Sunday, state television reported.

It also said surface-to-sea missiles would be tested today. It did not identify the missiles by name but said the weapon had been developed by Iranian scientists.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the ideologically driven wing of the armed forces which has a separate command structure to the regular military, held wargames in the Gulf in April in which they tested new missiles, torpedoes and other equipment.

Analysts interpreted those wargames as a thinly veiled threat that Iran could disrupt vital oil shipping lanes if pushed by an escalation in the nuclear dispute.

Iran is embroiled in a nuclear standoff with the West.

It is due to reply by August 22 to a demand by major powers that it suspend uranium enrichment in return for trade and technical concessions. It denies accusations by Western countries that it is seeking nuclear bombs.

REUTERS LL RN1238