Iranian missiles have 'worldwide reach': Russia



by Staff Writers



Moscow (AFP) Feb 5, 2009



Iran's successful launch of a satellite with its own technology shows that the country's missiles "can reach any point on the globe," a senior Russian space sector official said Thursday.

"I take my hat off to the Iranian scientists," Vitali Lapota, manager of the RKK Energuia space construction company declared was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. "They have shown their missiles can reach any point on the globe."

Iran's launch Monday of the Omid (Hope) satellite carried by the home-built Safir-2 rocket has set alarm bells ringing among Western powers, because of the implications for the range of its ballistic missiles.

US experts fear that Iran could eventually equip ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads capable of striking Europe or the United States.

Monday's launch comes at a time when Iran has been ignoring repeated UN Security Council demands to freeze its uranium enrichment activities.