Iran claims first ICBM test amid US naval deployment and deadly crackdown
Iran announced this week a successful test of its inaugural intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of striking the US East Coast, as a US carrier strike group heads to the Middle East amid escalating tensions over what UN investigators have labeled the regime's deadliest crackdown since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
State-affiliated media reported the launch from a Revolutionary Guards base in Semnan, central-northern Iran, aimed toward Siberia with Russian approval. The missile reportedly covered up to 3,700 miles, though video footage showed only a projectile piercing clouds. Iranian sources claim a potential range of 10,000 kilometers, theoretically placing Washington, D.C., within reach. The test, first shared on social media by an Iranian professor before state outlets amplified it, drew concern from experts who see its low-key nature as a sign of serious intent.
This development unfolds against a backdrop of heightened US military response. President Donald Trump ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group, including missile destroyers, toward the region, describing it as an "armada" aimed at Iran. The group passed through the Malacca Strait on January 18 and is expected soon. Speaking from Davos, Trump warned of close monitoring and potential "decisive" action if Tehran continues killing protesters, a line his advisors call self-imposed.
The missile test coincides with nationwide protests that have claimed at least 5,002 verified deaths, per the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, with nearly 10,000 more under review. Iran officially acknowledged 3,117 fatalities and over 26,800 detentions. The UN Human Rights Council held an emergency session Friday, with investigators decrying the violence as the government's most lethal since 1979. Rights chief Volker Turk noted security forces pursuing wounded individuals even into hospitals.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander, General Mohammad Pakpour, warned Washington and Israel against miscalculations, stating Iranian forces stand "finger on the trigger, more ready than ever." President Massoud Pezeshkian blamed the US and Israel for stoking the unrest, calling it "cowardly revenge" for defeat in the 12-day war. A US Defense Intelligence Agency report projects Iran could field up to 60 ICBMs by 2035, surpassing North Korea's anticipated arsenal. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi vowed retaliation "with everything we have" if attacked.
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