Say Anything Blog

By Philip Sherwell in New York and Carolynne Wheeler in Jerusalem

Iran attempted to deceive the world with last week’s high-profile weapons test by claiming that a 10-year-old missile was a new, longer-range version capable of striking Israel, US intelligence officials and independent analysts believe.

Analysis of Iranian television coverage has also indicated that one of the weapons actually remained on the ground but the video was doctored in an effort to cover up the failure.

The tests were the latest escalation in muscle-flexing between Iran and Israel as the threat of war grows over the Islamic regime’s nuclear ambitions.

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Iran claimed last week to have tested a new version of the Shahab missile with a 1,250-mile range that would put in range much of the Middle East, including Israel and Turkey and the Arabian peninsula, and Pakistan.However, a respected independent national security website, ArmsControlWonk.com, concluded that the missiles were identical to an earlier version of the Shahab, first unveiled by Iran in 1998 with a known range of 746 miles.

In a posting called “Same old Boring Shahab 3”, it analysed Iranian video footage, comparing the diameter of the missile to its length and found it to be identical to the decade-old version.

Other defence analysts believe that the missile was a Shahab 3a model with a 900-mile range.

Iran also issued misleading statements about the ranges and doctored videos to make the firings seem more numerous and fearsome than reality, The New York Times reported.

Coverage showing what appeared to be many missiles being fired was apparently just one device, filmed from different angles. “Deception was rampant,” said Charles Vick, an expert on the Iranian missile programme at Global Security, a prominent defence think tank.

Despite the deception, the Pentagon said it was taking the tests seriously, viewing them as an attempt further to destabilise the region.

“We don’t believe this exercise to have been an illusion,” said Geoff Morrell, a spokesman.

But he added: “They were not testing new technologies or capabilities, but rather firing off old equipment in an attempt to intimidate their neighbours and escalate tension in the region.”

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Last week’s missile tests sent oil prices soaring from $136 to $147 a barrel, delivering a windfall gain worth billions of dollars to Iran’s oil-based economy.

Terrorist greed leaves a world in need.  Maybe Obama can levy a “windfall profits” tax on Iran.