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Iran sends ballistic missiles to Shia proxies in Iraq

September 1, 2018 at 2:40 pm

Iran’s new Sayyad-3 air defence missiles seen at their new production facility, unveiled on July 22, 2017. The Sayyad-3 missiles are able to travel 75 miles and reach an altitude of 17 miles. [Iranian Ministry of Defence]

Reliable Iranian, Iraqi and Western sources have alleged that Tehran has moved ballistic missiles to its Shia proxies in Iraq in order to be able to hit its enemies if it is attacked, Reuters reported on Friday. A number of short-range missiles are said to have been sent across the border over the past few months.

“The logic is to have a backup plan if Iran is attacked,” one senior Iranian official told the international news agency. “The number of missiles is not high, just a couple of dozen, but it can be increased if necessary.”

Iran has previously said that its ballistic missile deployments are purely defensive in nature. Officials declined to comment when asked by Reuters about the latest move. Neither the Iraqi government nor army were prepared to comment, it added.