Iranian President 00has unveiled a “state-of-the-art” domestically produced submarine, which the defence ministry said is capable of firing cruise missiles. Dubbed the Fateh, or Conqueror, it is the country’s first semi-heavy submarine.

The 600-tonne submarine is equipped with torpedoes and naval mines, and can operate more than 200m below sea level for up to five weeks. Fateh is also outfitted with a guided-missile system capable of launching submarine-launched cruise missiles and an advanced sonic radar system that can identify enemy vessels. The Fateh is the latest addition to Iran’s fleet of submarines, which was first launched about 20 years ago.

Points to Note:

• Earlier, Iran announced that it successfully tested a new cruise missile, Hoveizeh, with a range of up to 1,350km.
• Iran also unveiled a surface-to-surface missile, the Dezful, with a shorter range of 1,000km.
• Iran has so far set a 2,000 km limit to its missiles – a range capable of reaching Israel and Western military bases in the Middle East, but not the US. According to experts, an Iranian missile requires a 10,000 km range to reach the US.
• Since the US decision to withdraw from the 2015 deal and reimpose sanctions, Iran has ramped up its missile development.