Iran announced the launch of a new missile production line on Saturday, according to state media, against a backdrop of tension between the United States and Tehran, Reuters reports.
The Sayyad 3 missile can reach an altitude of 27 km (16 miles) and travel up to 120 km (74 miles), Iranian defense minister Hossein Dehghan said at a ceremony. The missile can target fighter planes, unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles and helicopters, Dehghan said.
Last week, the United States slapped new economic sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile program, and said Tehran's "malign activities" in the Middle East undercut any "positive contributions" coming from a 2015 Iran nuclear accord.
The measures signaled that the administration of President Donald Trump was seeking to put more pressure on Iran while keeping in place the agreement between Tehran and six world powers to curb its nuclear program in return for lifting international oil and financial sanctions.
