Lavrov rejects rumors Iranian torpedo was of Russian origin
05/04/2006 15:15
BRATISLAVA, April 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's foreign minister Wednesday played down speculation that a torpedo tested by Iran had been supplied by Russia.
"I don't know who tested whose weapons. Many Western countries have sold weapons to the Iranians. I saw the television pictures, but I'm not a specialist in marine torpedoes," Sergei Lavrov told journalists in the Slovakian capital, where he is on a two-day official visit.
Iran tested torpedoes it said achieved speeds of up to 100 meters per second (about 220 miles per hour) during large-scale naval exercises in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The exercises, which started March 31, are scheduled to continue through April 6 and involve over 17,000 servicemen.
Some Western experts said the Iranian torpedo was likely a Russian-built weapon similar to its high-speed torpedo code-named Squall, thus fueling ongoing tensions over the situation around Iran's controversial nuclear program.
In a separate development, Iran said on Tuesday it had successfully tested a short- to medium-range land-to-sea missile that is equipped with a guidance system and invisible to radar.
Last week Iran said it had tested a new Fajr-3 ballistic missile, which is also invisible to radar.
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