TEHRAN - Iran has test-fired an improved version of one of the country’s long-range missiles.

State television showed video of the Sejil 2 missile launch Wednesday, calling the test a success.

The Sejil 2 has a range of about 2,000 kilometers, making it capable of hitting Israel and U.S. bases in southeastern Europe.

Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the missile was meant as a deterrent and told Iranian state television that its speed and maneuverability make the missile “impossible to destroy.”

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, in Copenhagen for climate change talks, said the missile launch makes the case for additional sanctions against Tehran, which is in a standoff with the West over its nuclear program.

On Tuesday, U.S. lawmakers voted in favor of sanctions on foreign companies selling gasoline to Iran.

One lawmaker, Representative Howard Berman — who co-sponsored the legislation, called the vote a response to Iran’s continued rejection of President Barack Obama’s efforts to engage Tehran.

The U.S. Senate must also approve the measure before it can be signed into law.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs defended the administration’s policy of engagement Tuesday, saying the president believes the approach will “pay dividends” in the coming weeks.  But U.S. State Department spokesman, P.J. Crowley, said separately that Iran has failed to cooperate in proving that its nuclear program is peaceful

Iran last test fired another of its long-range missiles (the Shahab 3) in September.  The United States criticized that launch, calling it “provocative.”

The U.S. and Israel have expressed concerns about Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and have not ruled out the possibility of using military action to stop the Islamic Republic from creating a weapon.

Meanwhile, Iran has rejected a British media report that alleges Tehran is developing a key component of a nuclear weapon.

On Monday, the British newspaper The Times said it has obtained documents that indicate Iran is planning to test a “neutron initiator,” a component that triggers an explosion in a nuclear bomb.

Tehran has repeatedly denied Western charges that it is trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian atomic energy program.

Source:  VOA News