Iran’s New Qiam Missile
Michael Elleman IISS Senior Fellow for Missile Defence
On 20 August, Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced that Iran had test-fired a new surface-to-surface missile, the Qiam (Rising). Vahidi did not say when and where the test-launch took place, though state-run television showed images and video of the new Iranian missile later that same day. Assuming the test was recent, it was in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929, which was adopted on 9 June and explicitly states that: 'Iran shall not undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using ballistic missile technology.'
Despite the scarcity of detail about the Qiam, the launch reveals much about the status of Iran's missile development efforts and the direction they may take in the near future.
Vahidi made his announcement of the missile one day before Russia was scheduled to begin loading fuel into the Bushehr nuclear reactor, and two days before Iran unveiled its long-distance 'stealth' drone Karrar (Striker). The minister said the Qiam 1 was 'part of the new generation of the Islamic Republic's surface-to-surface missiles' and 'completely designed and built domestically'. He added that the new missile 'enjoys enhanced agility due to the scrapping of its fins' and was guided by a smart navigation system that enables the missile to hit targets 'with high precision'.
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