TEHRAN - Iran is capable of mass-producing the Shahab-3, a ballistic missile capable of hitting Israel, Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani said Tuesday.
"We are presently able to mass-produce the Shahab-3, just like we do with the Paykan," the minister was quoted as saying by the student news agency ISNA.
The Paykan is Iran's ubiquitous national car, mass-produced here for decades.
"We have mastered the technology and we have no limits on the volume of the production," Shamkhani was also quoted as saying by state television.
"My task consists of developing defence capabilities, and we have passed our objectives," the rear admiral added.
Iran has recently upgraded the Shahab-3 ballistic missile, and says it now has a range of at least 2,000 kilometres (about 1,200 miles).
Previous figures had put the missile's range at between 1,300 and 1,700 kilometres, already bringing arch-enemy Israel and US bases in the region well within range.
Steady progress made by Iran on its ballistic missile programme is a major cause for concern for the international community, already alarmed over the country's nuclear activities.
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