Iran test fires cruise missile "Ghader"

Iran test-fired a surface-to-surface cruise missile named “Ghader”, which means Capable in Farsi, in international waters near the Strait of Hormuz.

• About “Ghader”:
• Surface-to-surface, ground-to-ship cruise missile
• Range of 200 kilometres
• Highly advanced with radar, satellite communications, precision in target destruction, as well as range and radar-evading mechanism

Iran’s war games ‘Vilayat-90’ and the missile firing are being perceived as a practice exercise for closing the Strait of Hormuz if the West were to block Iran’s oil sales. The US and the EU is considering imposing more sanctions on the sale and purchase of Iran’s oil to make the country financially weak to thwart Iran’s nuke program.

Where is Strait of Hormuz?

It is a narrow strait located b/w the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. Iran borders the Strait of Hormuz to the north, and the United Arab Emirates and Oman’s Musandam Peninsula border it to the south.

Importance: Much of the Persian Gulf relies on the Strait of Hormuz to export its petroleum and reach the ocean, making it one of the world’s most important oil supply routes.

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2013

Category: Places in News Current Affairs