Iran starts production of short-range missile

State radio said Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi inaugurated production of the Nasr-1 cruise missile, without saying where it took place.

"The Nasr-1 missile is able to destroy 3,000-ton targets," he said.

Vahidi last month opened two other missile production plants, one making ground-to-air missiles dubbed Qaem (Rising) and the other turning out surface-to-surface missiles dubbed Toofan 5 (Storm).

Iran's missile and space programs have sparked mounting alarm in the West amid fears that a command of advanced ballistics technologies combined with the nuclear know-how acquired from its declared civilian program may enable it to produce an atomic weapon.

Iran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons but has regularly boasted of having missiles that can target arch-foe Israel.

In December it tested the Sejil 2 (Lethal Stone) missile, describing it as a faster version of a medium-range missile that could allow it to strike Israel.

By AGENCIES