12 August 2004

U.S. Seriously Concerned About Iranian Missile Program

Continues to monitor Shahab-3 system and longer-range programs

Following is the response to a question taken at the August 11 daily State Department briefing:

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
August 11, 2004

TAKEN QUESTION FROM AUGUST 11, 2004 DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

Iranian Missile Test

Question: What is the United States reaction to Iran's testing of a Shahab-3 missile?

Answer: It is well known that Iran has had an active missile program for almost two decades, has been in the late stages of developing the Shahab-3 Medium Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM), and has been working on longer-range systems.

The United States has serious concerns about Iran's missile programs and views Iran's efforts to further develop its missile capabilities as a threat to the region and to United States interests.

We will continue to take steps to address Iran's missile efforts, and to work closely with other like-minded countries in doing so.

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)