Najar said: "The Islamic Republic of Iran has never aimed to launch an attack on any country.

[2] He told the gathering Basij militia during the manoeuvres they were holding that same week that: "The construction of the Ashoura missile, with the range of 2,000 km, is among the accomplishments of the Defence Ministry.

"[3] According to Jane's Defence Weekly,[4] the Ashoura represents a major breakthrough in Iranian missile technology.

It is the first two-stage MRBM using solid-fueled rocket motors instead of the existing liquid-fueled technology used on the Shahab.

The missile is named after the Day of Ashura, an important religious commemoration in Shia Islam.