Iran close to creating long-range ballistic missiles: Yesin

Moscow, Feb 5 (UNI) The launch by Iran of the Explorer-1 missile on February 4 shows that Tehran is close to possessing long-range ballistic missiles, former Chief of General Staff of the Russian Strategic Missile Troops Col General Viktor Yesin today said.

'' This achievement has shown that Iranian specialists have become familiar with production of liquid-propellant rocket engines, which will also allow them in the long term to create ballistic missiles with a range of 3,500-4,000 kilometres or even more,'' Yesin said, while commenting on media reports about the test-launch of a missile by Iran.

''I will not be surprised if Iran will have such missiles in the next few years,'' Interfax-AVN military news agency quoted him as saying.

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