Iran tests medium-range missile

Nation ‘acting out’ over sanctions, White House official says

In this photo released by the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani speaks in a cabinet meeting in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, July 24, 2019. President Hassan Rouhani suggested on Wednesday that Iran might release a U.K.-flagged ship if Britain takes similar steps to release an Iranian oil tanker seized by the British Royal Navy off Gibraltar earlier this month. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)
In this photo released by the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani speaks in a cabinet meeting in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, July 24, 2019. President Hassan Rouhani suggested on Wednesday that Iran might release a U.K.-flagged ship if Britain takes similar steps to release an Iranian oil tanker seized by the British Royal Navy off Gibraltar earlier this month. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)

WASHINGTON -- Iran test-launched a medium-range ballistic missile inside its borders, U.S. officials said Friday, defying demands from President Donald Trump's administration that it curtail the weapons program and demonstrating its intent to further push back against U.S. sanctions.

The test came amid heightened tensions between Iran and the West, mainly over the safety of commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

A White House spokesman called the test launch an example of Iran "acting out" as a result of intense pressure from U.S. economic sanctions.

"You've seen their economy teetering on the verge of collapse for a while now. And when they're backed into a corner, they're acting out," said spokesman Hogan Gidley, who also said Trump wants to begin conversations with Iran's leaders.

Iran has responded to stepped-up U.S. economic sanctions with a variety of military moves, and the Shahab-3 missile test launch could be considered another signal from Tehran that it will not back down.

The U.S. officials who confirmed the missile launch spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.

Tensions have mounted with Iran over a 2015 nuclear accord it reached with world powers. The deal eased sanctions in exchange for Iran curbing its nuclear program. Trump withdrew the United States from the accord last year, reinstating sanctions on Iran and adding new ones. Iran has openly exceeded the uranium enrichment levels set in the accord to try to pressure Europe into offsetting the economic pain of U.S. sanctions.

Trump insists that Iran must agree to limits on its ballistic missile program, but Iran thus far has refused.

Nations still party to the nuclear deal plan to meet in Vienna on Sunday to see to what extent the agreement can be saved. The European Union said the meeting of officials from China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany will be chaired by the EU.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, an expert on Iranian defense at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the Shahab-3 is a liquid-fueled, medium-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear weapon.

"The Shahab-3 is the backbone of Iran's class of medium-range ballistic missiles," he said, adding that Iranian news outlets have previously called it one of the country's "Israel-hitting" missiles.

It is derived from a North Korean missile called the Nodong-A and can fly up to 1,242 miles, depending on the variant.

"Iran's continued flight-testing has both political and military applications, functioning as a show of resolve against foreign adversaries and to improve the overall reliability of its missile force, which is the largest in the Middle East," he said. "As Iran continues to escalate in response to the maximum-pressure campaign, Washington should expect more missile launches."

Separately, the Indian Foreign Ministry said Friday that Iran has released nine Indian mariners it had held after seizing a foreign tanker that it claimed was smuggling Iranian oil.

The tanker, the Riah, which is based in the United Arab Emirates but registered in Panama, was seized nearly two weeks ago in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which 20% of the world's oil supply is shipped.

With a simmering conflict pitting Iran against the United States and its gulf allies, the Emirates and Saudi Arabia, the seizure was one of several recent incidents demonstrating how vulnerable that oil flow is to disruption.

Iran has also impounded a British tanker, apparently in retaliation for Britain detaining an Iranian tanker at Gibraltar, leading to talk of a potential swap.

Raveesh Kumar, a spokesman for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, said the Riah and its 12 Indian crew members were detained by the Iranian Coast Guard on July 13. "Nine crew members have been released, and they will be on their way to India soon," he said.

He added that India's diplomatic mission in Iran had requested the release of the remaining Indian sailors -- who, according to several news reports, include the ship's captain.

Another ministry spokesman, Pawan Badhe, said Iranian authorities approved the release Monday but that he did not know when they were actually set free.

Information for this article was contributed by Robert Burns and Deb Riechmann of The Associated Press; and by Suhasini Raj of The New York Times.

A Section on 07/27/2019

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