Iran defies US and Israel by unveiling dangerous ballistic missile

Iran on Sunday unveiled its latest ballistic missile, propelled by solid fuel, the country's state-run television reported.

The unveiling came amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States over Tehran's nuclear program, which included strong warnings from US. President Donald Trump, who in a recent interview with NBC demanded the "total" dismantling of the Iranian nuclear program.

Iranian television showed the ballistic missile, called Qassem Basir, during an interview with Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh.

The official said the missile, which was test-fired on April 17, includes improvements in both guidance and maneuverability, with the aim of overcoming layers of defense and easily evading missile defense systems.

Iranian state television noted that the missile has a range of at least 1,200 kilometers and is capable of identifying and hitting a specific target among multiple targets, without GPS guidance and with high accuracy.

Iran challenges the US and Israel

The Iranian minister also referred to a statement by US Defense Secretary Pete Hagsth, who warned Iran about its support for Houthi terrorists in Yemen. Nasirzadeh said that if the United States or Israel were to start a war, Iran would attack their interests, bases and forces "wherever they are and whenever necessary."

The Iranian official also disassociated his country from the recent Houthi attack on Israel.

Meanwhile, indirect talks between Iran and the United States on Tehran's nuclear program, which were scheduled for May 3 in Rome, were postponed last week.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry reported that the postponement was made at the request of the Omani government, which is acting as mediator.