Iran has test-fired a new missile.

On Saturday, August 24, 2019, Iran has test-fired a new missile, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said, according to the Iranian news agency Tasmin. The official hasn’t provided any additional information on the missile.

Archive image firing test of Ballistic missile somewhere in Iran. (Picture source Twitter account China Xinhua News)

Last week, Iran unveiled the Bavar-373 long-range mobile air defense system, an analog of the Russian S-300 system, with a reported maximum range of 200 km, the ability to launch a variety of missile types, and a flight ceiling of up to 27 km.

Iran began production after the purchase of Russia's S-300 system was suspended in 2010 due to international sanctions that have barred it from importing many weapons. It installed the stalled S-300 system in March 2016 following several years of delays in the wake of the now-crumbling 2015 nuclear deal.

In July 2016, Russia has delivered the first batch of missiles of the S-300 (NATO reporting name: SA-10 Grumble) air defense missile system to Iran.

The contract for the delivery of Russian-made S-300 air defense missile systems to Iran was signed in 2007 but its fulfillment was suspended by UN Security Council Resolution No. 1929 on June 9, 2010, which banned the delivery of modern weapons to Iran, including missiles and missile systems.

In April 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin lifted the ban on the delivery of S-300 systems to Iran. In November, new contact for the delivery of S-300 air defense missile systems to Iran came into force.

Iran possesses the largest and most diverse missile arsenal in the Middle East, with thousands of short and medium-range ballistic and cruise missiles capable of striking as far as Israel and southeast Europe. Missiles have become a central tool of Iranian power projection and anti-access/area-denial capabilities in the face of U.S. and Gulf Cooperation Council naval and air power in the region.

Iranian Bavar-373 surface-to-air missile (Source photo Twitter)