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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei before members of the Iranian Air Force
Photo: WANA NEWS AGENCY / VIA REUTERS
Iran says it has developed a long-range cruise missile.
"The cruise missile, capable of a range of 1,650 kilometers, has been added to the missile arsenal of the Islamic Republic of Iran," commander of the Revolutionary Guard Aerospace Forces, Amirali Hajizadeh, said on state television, which is also said to be showing the first images of the new Paveh cruise missile has shown.
Iran has expanded its missile program against US opposition.
The mullahs' regime claims it is purely defensive and used as a deterrent.
As recently as November, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that Iran had built a supersonic ballistic missile.
At the time, the United States was skeptical about the report.
"Unprecedented defense cooperation"
According to US sources, Russia is considering supplying fighter jets to Iran.
"We believe that Russia could offer Iran unprecedented defense cooperation, including on missiles, electronics and air defense," US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in Washington on Friday (local time).
"We believe that Russia could provide Iran with fighter jets," he added.
According to Kirby, Iran would like to use Russian help to strengthen its military in exchange for Iranian weapons that Moscow is using in the war against Ukraine.
The equipment Tehran is looking for also includes helicopters, radars and training fighter jets from Russia.
It's about billions of dollars in military equipment, Kirby said.
The spokesman explained that Iran had already supplied hundreds of drones, artillery and tank ammunition to Russia and "increased its support for Russia's war".
"We had worries that it would go both ways, and those worries will no doubt come true," Kirby said.
dop/Reuters/AFP
