ALL OUR ' TARGETS ARE IN RANGE ' Iran's missile tests spark fury.Byline: GREIG BOX TURNBULL; JASON Jason, in Greek mythology Jason, in Greek mythology, son of Aeson. When Pelias usurped the throne of Iolcus and killed (or imprisoned) Aeson and most of his descendants, Jason was smuggled off to the centaur Chiron, who reared him secretly on Mt. Pelion. BEATTIE IRAN Iran (ērän`, ĭrăn`), officially Islamic Republic of Iran, republic (2005 est. pop. 68,018,000), 636,290 sq mi (1,648,000 sq km), SW Asia. The country's name was changed from Persia to Iran in 1935. ramped up international tension yesterday by testfiring long-range missiles capable of striking Israeli and US bases. The Shahab-3 and Sajjil rockets were launched just days before worried world leaders For a list of heads of state, see . World leaders is a MMORPG. The game involves creating a state, joining an alliance and going into war. It is mostly played by players from Israel, China, USA, Britain, Brazil and Saudi-Arabia. meet in Geneva Geneva, canton and city, Switzerland Geneva (jənē`və), Fr. Genève, canton (1990 pop. 373,019), 109 sq mi (282 sq km), SW Switzerland, surrounding the southwest tip of the Lake of Geneva. to discuss the rogue state's nuclear ambitions. Iranian government officials insisted there was no link between the missile manoeuvres and the country's nuclear activities. But Revolutionary Guard commander Gen Hossein Salami "All targets within the region, no matter where they are, will be within the range of these missiles." He added: "For all those who might harbour dreams about undertaking military invasion against us, the message of this manoeuvre is firmness, destructiveness - real and endless resistance." The missiles are said to have a range of up to 1,250 miles - which would include parts of Europe. TV footage showed them soaring into the sky in desertlike terrain, to shouts of "Allahu Akbar" - God is Greatest. The tests brought immediate condemnation around the world after last week's disclosure that Iran is building a second uraadmitted: nium enrichment plant at Fordo near the holy city of Qom. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the missile testing was "part of an annual provocation" by Iran. But he said it should not detract from Thursday's meeting between Iranian officials and representatives of six major powers, including America, China and Russia. The UN has given President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad until then to come clean about how far Iran has gone towards developing nuclear weapons. Failing that, Iran has been warned it will face international isolation and economic sanctions. President Barack Obama said the discovery of the secret nuclear plant showed a "disturbing pattern" of evasion by Tehran. And neither the US nor Israel have ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to resolve the nuclear stand-off. Iran has threatened to respond to any attack by targeting US interests in the region and Israel, as well as closing the Strait of Hormuz Noun 1. Strait of Hormuz - a strategically important strait linking the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman Strait of Ormuz Arabian Sea - a northwestern arm of the Indian Ocean between India and Arabia - a vital route for world oil supplies. Middle East expert Alex Vatanka said the missile tests were a deliberate show of strength. He added: "It's to demonstrate some military muscle and say that the game is not yet over for Iran." CAPTION(S): SECRET Fordo nuke plant. Left, launch of Shahab-3 yesterday DEADLINE Iranian leader Ahmadinejad |
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