Iran equips marine forces with cruise missile

Iran has equipped its naval forces with a short range "cruise missile," able to hit targets in costal areas and warships within "200 kilometres (125 miles), the country's defence minister was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

"Today we are witnessing the equipping of the Guards navy and army navy with ample numbers of the Qader cruise missile," General Ahmad Vahidi said, quoted by his ministry's website referring to the elite Revolutionary Guards who are tasked with defending Iranian waters in the Gulf.

"It has 200 km range and has ability to be launched quickly against warships and costal targets. It flies in low altitude, has high destructive power, (and is) lightweight with high precision," he added.

He added that it could be fired from the coast or from vessels of different classes, increasing considerable the operational ability of the forces.

UN: North Korea, Iran Share Ballistic Missile Technology

A classified United Nations report says North Korea and Iran have routinely shared ballistic missile technology in violation of U.N. sanctions, and diplomats say China has sought to block release of the report.

The document, seen by Western journalists, says the illicit technology transfers passed through a neighboring third country, which diplomats identify as China, North Korea's closest ally. Beijing has not commented on the report, which also includes accusations the technology was transferred aboard regular air flights of Air Koryo and Iran Air - North Korea’s and Iran's national airlines.

The U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions against North Korea after two nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. Iran is also under international sanctions because of its uranium enrichment activities, which the United States and its allies suspect are weapons-related. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

Iran confirms making nuclear centrifuge parts

Iran on Saturday confirmed it was producing components to make centrifuges -- the device which enriches uranium -- at a factory which it said was not secret as claimed by an opposition group.

"The factory mentioned by Monafeghin (hypocrites) is not a new discovery," state news agency IRNA quoted Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi as saying, and referring to the People's Mujahedeen of Iran, the main armed opposition group fighting the Iranian regime.

"We manufacture components (in the factory), but it is in no way a secret," Salehi said when asked about PMOI's claim that Iran produces components for centrifuges used to enrich uranium.

On Thursday, PMOI spokesman in Washington Alireza Jafarzadeh claimed the Taba company site, west of Tehran, has been operating for four and a half years, citing information gathered by the group.

Taba, which in Persian stands for Iranian Cutting Tools Factory, produces "aluminium casing, magnets, molecular pumps, composite tubes, centrifuge bases," the spokesman said.

Iran mass producing new anti-ship missiles

Iran is mass producing a new ballistic missile which can travel at more than three times the speed of sound and hit targets on the high seas, top commanders said on Monday.

Commander Mohammad Ali Jafari, who heads the elite military force, the Revolutionary Guards, said the missile named "Persian Gulf" -- had a range of 300 kilometres (185 miles).

"Iran is mass producing a smart ballistic missile for sea targets with a speed three times more than the speed of sound," state news agency IRNA quoted Jafari as saying about the new missile.

Iran to showcase new rockets, satellites

Iran said on Sunday it will showcase what it called a new range of rockets and satellites during annual celebrations marking the 32nd anniversary of the Islamic revolution.

Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Safir 1-B and Kavoshgar 4 rockets and Rasad and Fajr satellites would be unveiled during the 10-day celebrations that start on Tuesday, according to state television website.

Iran will mark on February 11 the 32nd anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution which toppled the US-backed shah. Every year Tehran uses the occasion to tout its scientific and technological achievments.