Iran Test Fires Advanced Anti-Ship Missile Near Straits of Hormuz

(The Blaze/AP)– Iran test-fired a surface-to-surface cruise missile on Monday during a drill that the country’s navy chief said proved Tehran was in complete control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the passageway for one-sixth of the world’s oil supply.

Iran Test Fires Advanced Anti Ship Missile Near Straits of Hormuz

The missile, called Ghader, or Capable in Farsi, was described as an upgraded version of a missile that has been in service before. The official IRNA news agency said the missile “successfully hit its intended target” during the exercise.

Iranian State television released this clip of the missile test, which you can watch below courtesy of the Associated Press:

No other details were released about Ghader. An earlier version of the same cruise missile had a range of 124 miles (200 kilometers) and could travel at low altitudes. There were suggestions it could counter the U.S. naval presence in the Persian Gulf.

Iran’s 10-day navy drill, which ends Tuesday, was Tehran’s latest show of strength in the face of mounting international criticism over its nuclear program. The exercise came amid conflicting comments from Iranian officials over Tehran’s intentions to close the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. warnings against such an ominous move.

“The Strait of Hormuz is completely under our control,” Iran’s navy chief Adm. Habibollah Sayyari said after Monday’s test. “We do not allow any enemy to pose threats to our interests.”

The latest version of the Ghader was delivered in September to the naval division of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which is assigned to protect Iranian sea borders. At the time, Tehran said the missile is capable of destroying warships.

“In comparison with the previous version, the highly advanced Ghader missile system has been upgraded in terms of its radar, satellite communications, precision in target destruction, as well as range and radar-evading mechanism,” said Rear Adm. Mahmoud Mousavi, a spokesman for the drill.

State TV showed footage Monday depicting the launch of two missiles, which were fired into the sky and which the TV said could hit targets “hundreds of kilometers (miles) away” from the point of origin. The broadcast said two more missiles, with a shorter range, were also tested Monday.

Iran Test Fires Advanced Anti Ship Missile Near Straits of Hormuz

“We conducted the drill … to let everybody know that Iran’s defense and deterrence powers on the open seas and the Strait of Hormuz are aimed at defending our borders, resources and our nation,” said Sayyari, the navy chief.

The testing comes a day after Iran test-fired an advanced surface-to-air missile called Mehrab, or Altar in Farsi, which was described as medium-range.

Iran had said the sea maneuvers would cover a 1,250-mile (2,000-kilometer) stretch of water beyond the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, as well as parts of the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.

A leading Iranian lawmaker said Sunday the maneuvers served as practice for closing the Strait of Hormuz if the West blocks Iran’s oil sales. After top Iranian officials made the same threat a week ago, military commanders emphasized that Iran has no intention of blocking the waterway now.

Iran Test Fires Advanced Anti Ship Missile Near Straits of Hormuz

Mousavi on Sunday also emphasized that Iran has no plan to choke the strait. “We won’t disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. We are not after this,” the semiofficial ISNA news agency quoted him as saying.

Mousavi said the drill was “tactical” and meant to show Iran was capable of assuming full control over the strait in case this became necessary.

The West fears Iran’s program aims to develop atomic weapons — a charge Tehran denies, insisting it’s for peaceful purposes only.

Comments (93)

1 2
  • Treaty
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:21pm

    Is hitting a US warship really worth it? Tehran and Mashhad would be absolutely devastated if they did that. They’d be accomplishing nothing because Saudi Arabia already said they could pick up the slack.

    Report Post » Treaty  
    • certified ethical hacker
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:30pm

      I do not know if this is the case but a lot goes into this kind of announcement that people back in the States have no clue about. They may be announcing something about a program just to cause a ripple effect and see what it causes. See who and what jumps or what kind of activity it causes. I know this will never happen but I really wish there was a way to charge the oil nations for what we have to do to protect many of them or in this case if someone sinks one of our ships or downs aircraft we take it out n oil money how is that . ?

      Report Post »  
    • BOMUSTGO
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:34pm

      The Saudis‘ don’t much care for these Persians anyway.

      Report Post » BOMUSTGO  
    • pavepaws
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 2:05pm

      For the missles to be launched, one would have to have ships on the surface of the water, not sitting on the sea floor sunk by submarines. One act of aggression from Iran would solve that.

      Report Post »  
    • Ookspay
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 2:54pm

      It wont be long before Achmadinejad loads a bunch of corpses into a civilian airliner and flies it towards a Navy warship. Then blame the US for attacking innocent civilians. Or vice versa, of course… Then, let the games begin.

      Report Post » Ookspay  
    • bane73
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 6:02pm

      @PavePaws: you are assuming that U.S. sub torpedos are capable of being fired at-depth in such a shallow body of water and detonate at near-surface depth… and all without risk to other surface targets nearby that may not be implicit. Make no mistake about it, this sort of development is not good if it’s as capable as it sounds. Furthermore, politics (sadly) plays into these sorts of things a great deal — what we are technologically capable of doing and what we are politically/morally capable of doing are often 2 very, very different things. I know because my ship was ready to take out a band of pirates (including their village) holding an oil tanker hostage, but we were stopped due to politics and instead we paid the pirates $1M and let them go scot-free.

      Don’t assume we can do the technologically-difficult; and even if we can, don’t assume we will.
      This Iran thing is not good; I guarantee every ship travelling through the gulf right now is on high-alert. And if they are, we (civilians) should be concerned.

      Report Post »  
    • avbsoftworks
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 8:18pm

      This story is BS, shannagins, the missile in question has a maximum range of 120 miles, the navy maintains a 150 mile distance from Iran.
      Let’s get a grip, Iran is simply no threat to us. Not now not ever!!!

      Report Post »  
    • bane73
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 8:47pm

      @AVBSOFTWORKS: I was in the Navy until fairly recently; Iran, per-se, isn’t a big threat (that is, in a direct military full-force confrontation)… but as a minor threat, they are very real. They have plenty of capability to hurt our men and women in solitary attacks.

      Your argument regarding the range of this missile is fallacious: the USN may maintain a distance from Iran, but these missiles are meant to be mounted to THEIR SHIPS — and whose to say they will maintain a distance from us if they decide they want to use one of these missiles?

      Just because we could smash them in a regular military conflict does not mean they can’t hurt us badly in solitary attacks should they be crazy/stupid enough to do so. Lest you think we can magically foresee every crazy attempt, you will recall there have been numerous successful attacks against us; USS Cole, for example.

      If we continue in this misplaced pride that we are the global power, it will be our downfall.

      Report Post »  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:20pm

    The biggest threat to our Frredom, librerty and our American way of life, is OUR CRIMINAL FEDERAL, OUT OF CONTROL GOVERNMENT…. not iran !

    Report Post »  
  • certified ethical hacker
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:16pm

    Well in response to another comment made within an article, this person had said the USA spends to much money developing such things as the f-35. while there are cost overruns I think this is an example of what would happen if we sat back and let the oil nations spend all their oil money on nukes and other weapon systems.

    Report Post »  
    • mangus2
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 2:53pm

      “We let them”? Are we in charge of deciding how other countries spend their money now too? We spend more than the rest of the world combined on our military. What would we do if another country told us we couldn’t spend our money on the military?

      Report Post »  
    • US-First
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 6:26pm

      MANGUS2 – Yes it is difficult being an adult in a world of infants and teenagers. You comment is quite adolescent. It it reminiscent of what a parent hears from his children when they try to exert that what they think and do carries the same merit as an adult. Sorry but this country and many of her allies lead the world (at least when we have a leader in the White House), and we are apt to spank several emerging populations as they begin to take a direction that harms us or our interests. We have many friends in the world that we do not simply disengage and walk away from when a bully emerges. Equally we foster many children on their way to being adults who expect us to act like adults! Our greatest flaw as parents is that we allow some of these children latitude to make mistakes that can hurt us and those around them in the hopes that their learning is enhanced.

      Report Post »  
  • certified ethical hacker
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:14pm

    Those people over in Iran and those areas are like little kids. They know we have a weak parent, obuma. They know he wont spank anyone and will just say, do not do that that is not nice. We have a big belt but no one fears it.

    Report Post »  
    • LoveBringsTruth
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:21pm

      You should have said.

      Iran knows Obama is ‘one of them.’ The 12 Imam.

      Report Post »  
  • ThePostman
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:12pm

    Congress hasn’t declared war in 47 years. I seriously doubt we have the guts to get into another war. Back off the bravado and pivot back to jobs.

    Report Post »  
  • ThePostman
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:10pm

    If Iran isn’t firing missiles at us, then I do not care. The moment they do, assuming they do not sink one of our ships within their 12 mile limit, let me know. Until then, cut the war-mongering. I don’t care about Iran. I don’t care about North Korea. I don’t care about China. I care about our borders. Secure them first before telling me Iran is a threat. Of course they are a threat – we are economically attacking them. So just stop it. Mind our own business and bring our troops home!

    Report Post »  
    • certified ethical hacker
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:24pm

      One problem is we have a lot (I mean a lot ) of American assets in the region. We have several thousand Americans living and working in Kuwait alone . (civilians) I was considering taking a Information security job there myself.

      Report Post »  
    • Detroit paperboy
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:29pm

      @thepostman
      Could not agree more, the biggest national security threat we face, is our crushing debt and our open borders , not iran or any other two bit crap hole !

      Report Post »  
    • noproblems
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 2:05pm

      why dont you just say you are a Ron Paul supporter. BTW -do you get sand in your ears when you have your head buried in the sand?

      Report Post »  
  • Charles
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:04pm

    Drill here drill now get the communists out of the white house

    Report Post »  
  • Akbarjonnie Shaheed
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:04pm

    They know if Little Man comes to America and gets away with trashing The People, they are dealing with ***** leadership. Expect more to come.

    De Oppresso Liber

    Report Post »  
  • qzak491
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:50pm

    If you look at the first picture it says that is an anti-ship missle, well unless we have ships that can fly that missle is headed the wrong way. It doesn’t matter, with all the moslems in the white house including osama we will never attack Iran and they know it.

    Report Post »  
    • AOL_REFUGEE
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:04pm

      What goes up, must come down; but before it can come down, it has to go up first: Newton’s First Law of Common Sense. Duh.

      Report Post » AOL_REFUGEE  
    • BOMUSTGO
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 2:01pm

      Some people just don’t understand trajectory.

      Report Post » BOMUSTGO  
  • bhelmet
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:49pm

    You know how to put an end to this? Drill here, drill now. Cut off the flow of funds and these people lose 30% of their income. Let China and Russia have their oil and we get our own. We don‘t need air strikes and we don’t need missiles – we NEED common sense.

    Report Post » bhelmet  
  • LogiStyx
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:44pm

    Give me a break. Nothing Iran has can ever counter our presence anywhere! To be crushed like scorpion under foot.

    Report Post » LogiStyx  
    • Ghandi was a Republican
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:58pm

      Really? You don’t think sinking one of their own ships in the straights is a problem? You don’t thin cyber attacks are a problem. Cyber attacks is one of the core responsibility of the Federal Government and they are failing (some would say intentionally under the Alinsky radical ideology). Ever hear of a EMP? Even a localized one could be serious. Ever hear of Wire cutters? Don’t be distracted by missiles. All Iranian gear outside of their 10 mile Sea perimeter should be destroyed. They are at war with the Free World!

      Report Post » Ghandi was a Republican  
  • FreeUsAll
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:43pm

    Great. Another war. War, or the ability to wage it, is dependent on the health of the State. Governments, (Yes, the U.S.,) tend to turn their backs on freedom during war. Read 1984 to see what is happening here.

    Report Post » FreeUsAll  
  • wordweaver
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:43pm

    These guys are good at saber rattling and talking out of both sides of their mouths. “We’ll close the strait,“ ”No we won’t.” I’d love to see them put in their place, and I have confidence that the U.S. 5th fleet could do that, but that would only make our world even more unstable than it already is. So, I hope the Iranian leadership truly knows that they stand no chance of conducting a war at sea successfully. If they are determined to do that, then Admiral Sayyari should invest in a glass bottom boat so he can keep track of his fleet.

    Report Post » wordweaver  
    • GO-FOR-LIBERTY
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:24pm

      He won’t need a glass bottom boat for he will be looking up through the waves. Can these missles be fired~~~~deep under water? You just know that torpedoes are ready and primed.

      Report Post »  
  • KidCharlemagne
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:38pm

    Sounds to me like the hedge funds on Wall Street are in need of a little assistance from the Iranians in propping up the price of those crude oil contracts once again and there‘s nothing like the threat of ’wars, and rumors of wars’ to keep a floor up underneath the price of crude oil these days.

    Coincidentally enough, in 2011 the USA became a net exporter of gasoline for the first time since 1949 (fuel was America’s top export in 2011):

    ———————————————————
    “Top U.S. Export? Fuel (You read that right)
    December 31, 2011
    The last time the United States was a net exporter of fuels was in 1949, when Truman was president.

    The Associated Press

    NEW YORK – For the first time, the top export of the United States, the world’s biggest gas guzzler, is — wait for it — fuel.

    Measured in dollars, the nation is on pace this year to ship more gasoline, diesel and jet fuel than any other single export, according to U.S. Census data going back to 1990. It will also be the first year in more than 60 that America has been a net exporter of these fuels.

    Just how big a shift is this? A decade ago, fuel wasn’t even among the top 25 exports. And for the last five years, America’s top export was aircraft.”
    http://www.pressherald.com/business/fuel-is-now-leading-export-of-united-states_2011-12-31.html

    Report Post »  
  • Quagaar Warrior
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:34pm

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Maybe they’ll become our friends if Obama gives them another drone.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Report Post »  
  • Quagaar Warrior
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:32pm

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    It’s time to melt Iran!!!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Report Post »  
  • Action-Not-Just_Words
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:26pm

    Has anyone ever seen a Aircraft Carrier Battle Group in action? I have… Iran is truely a nation being run by nut cases…

    Report Post » Action-Not-Just_Words  
    • chips1
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:06pm

      Can’t go to war without a leader, and we don’t have one. Also it must be leader that tells our military to win it in 3 or 4 days. Not like Nam.

      Report Post »  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:25pm

    So the next round continues on the escallation scale; with Obama at the helm he will only issue a series of stern notes and worthless sanctions against them in protest. Although I can see him doing a fabricated ‘wag the dog’ moment again – the last one being the faked attempt via the drug lords to take out an ambassador.

    He will do so – if needed – just before the elections this year.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • gmoneytx
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:23pm

    “The Strait of Hormuz is completely under our control,” Iran’s navy chief Adm. Habibollah Sayyari said after Monday’s test. “We do not allow any enemy to pose threats to our interests.”

    Sounds like someone has drawn a line in the sand…

    Report Post » gmoneytx  
    • MidWestMom
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:37pm

      Yes, a definite line in the sand. And whoever believes they aren’t working towards a nuclear weapon is delusional.

      Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:49pm

      @MIDWESTMOM — you are correct.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDvaTqLlZlA

      Report Post »  
    • Dumbwhiteguy
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:53pm

      This is all by design. The oil drilling sanctions that we have imposed on ourself over the last 50 years can dictate the price of oil, from a small area. We are our own worse enemy. This is going to cause the first crisis that are going to raise the price of food and gas that most people can’t afford.

      We are about at the end of our rope. Out of 300 million people, I would say that 299 million don’t know, don‘t want to know or don’t care. That is your 99%.

      Report Post »  
    • MidWestMom
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 1:27pm

      I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Iran already has a nuclear weapon. What does surprise me is that Israel hasn’t destroyed their nuclear “research” facilities. Of course that may change now that Iran announced they’ve produced a fuel rod.

      Report Post »  
  • caveman74
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:15pm

    HA HA HA “counter any US navy presence” HA HA HA that little soapbox? with the slingshot taped to it?!?! If a deck hand on one of our boats sneezes in the right direction I think it would capsize that little crate. You ever sit out in a warm summer evening breeze mustering just enough energy to shoo away a mosquito but not enough to sit somewhere else because you are so relaxed that the mosquito doesn’t warrent moving? I see Iran as that mosquito

    Report Post »  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:24pm

      LOL! Iran has NOTHING that can ‘counter’ the U.S. Navy. Period. The Iranian “navy” would be on the bottom of the sea within minutes. The ENTIRE navy.

      Just one U.S. Navy Air Group would make artificial reef material out their entire navy in minutes and at the same time make a giant memorial garden under water.

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
    • MeteoricLimbo
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:26pm

      @ Caveman
      a BB is .177…..so is a 17 Rem….big things can come in a small pkg.

      Report Post » MeteoricLimbo  
    • BOMUSTGO
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:45pm

      The next Iranian Navy wil have glass bottom boats so they can see the old Iranian Navy.

      Report Post » BOMUSTGO  
  • JLGunner
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:14pm

    “Tactical?” What a joke. Iran wouldn’t last 6 hours. Why would they feel it necessary to “assume full control”?

    Report Post » JLGunner  
  • BurntHills
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:12pm

    here we go.

    Report Post » BurntHills  
  • Stoic one
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 12:02pm

    The Strait of Hormuz is International waters, if my ruler is correct. If that is so then Iran would be declaring war on the world….

    Report Post » Stoic one  
  • Rick Brandon
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 11:59am

    Sure, they’re peaceful. And if my grandmother had had wheels she would have been a wagon.

    Report Post »  
  • Sirfoldallot
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 11:56am

    Sonds like they r getting ready to set up a high rate toll both up.

    Report Post » Sirfoldallot  
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