German intelligence believes Iran has now bought 18 longer-range missiles from North Korea, giving Tehran the capability to attack targets in central Europe, the German daily newspaper Bild reported Friday.
The study by the foreign intelligence service BND said the BM-25 missiles were being purchased from Pyongyang in the form of kit sets. The mobile missiles, which are based on the Russian SS-N-6 missile for submarine launch, will have a nominal range of 2,500 kilometres. However it was possible to upgrade them to hit targets 3,500 kilometres away, the Munich-based BND said.
Iran already has Shehab-3 missiles with a range of 1,300 kilometres.
Bild quoted the BND dossier as saying: "Germany and other parts of Europe could be affected in the medium to long term by the Iranian missile programme." It added: "With longer ranges in the future, combined with the apparent efforts to obtain nuclear warheads, Iran would be in a position to reach all of Israel and parts of central Europe." |