Russia says Iran war games show U.S. does not need missile shield

Russia says Iran war games show U.S. does not need missile shield MOSCOW, July 15, 2008 - Russia's foreign minister said on Friday that Iran's recent missile tests show it does not have ability to attack Europe, and disprove the U.S. justification for a missile shield in Central Europe. Iran test-fired a series of long and medium-range missiles in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz this week. The Shahab-3 missile, launched on Wednesday, could potentially reach Israel, Pakistan, and U.S. bases in the Mideast. United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday that the tests proved the need to deploy interceptor missiles in Poland and a linked tracking radar in the Czech Republic, plans that have infuriated Russia, which views them as a national security threat. Russia's Sergei Lavrov said the tests in Iran "proved that the country only has missiles with a range of 2,000 km (1,240 miles)," much less than the range needed to reach Europe. "This proves what we said before, that the idea of deploying the U.S. missile shield in Europe with its parameters is not needed to monitor and respond to missiles of this range," Lavrov said following talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Salaheddin Al-Bashir. "We are certain that talk of a missile threat emanating from Iran is an invented motive for deploying a missile shield in Europe," Lavrov said. Iran's test launches came after the Israeli Air Force conducted military exercises in early June, which were seen as a rehearsal for an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran is suspected by Western states of seeking to produce nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian program. Tehran says it needs nuclear technology to generate electricity. The United States has refused to rule out a military attack on Iran over its nuclear ambitions. Lavrov said the problem requires a joint solution, rather than unilateral steps such as missile tests, threats and new bases. He also said Moscow is looking ahead to new talks with Iran, scheduled for later this month. "We advocate the continuation and buildup of diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement on Iran's nuclear dossier. We expect that discussions on the proposals made to Iran last month will help create appropriate conditions for that." Iran's chief nuclear negotiator will meet with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on July 19 to discuss a set of incentives designed to persuade the country to halt uranium enrichment, a process needed in both electricity and weapons production.