Security think tank says Iran can fire nuke missile by 2012

London, May 11 (ANI): The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) has said that Iran could fire a nuclear missile by the year 2012.

It said that the Sajjil-2 missile, with a range of 1,400 miles, was test-fired at the end of 2008 and will be ready for deployment in 2012.

The weapon relies on solid fuel for propulsion, which means it has a short preparation time and can't be as easily deterred by a pre-emptive strike, the IISS added.

Iran is the only country to have developed a missile of this reach without first having developed nuclear weapons," the IISS report said.

The missile would be capable of hitting Israel and parts of southern Europe depending on the size of the warhead.

Mark Fitzpatrick, a specialist on Iranian security, said the report demonstrated that Iran had devoted substantial resources to ballistic technology.

"Logic and the history of Iran's revolutionary missile and space launcher development efforts suggest Tehran would develop and field an intermediate range missile before embarking on a programme to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the American East coast," the IISS report said. (ANI)