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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Iran Reportedly Tests Cruise Missile

Compiled From Wire Services

Iran has started test-firing a new cruise missile designed to strike ships, Defense Secretary William Cohen said Tuesday, citing it as evidence of a sinister intent in Iran’s military buildup.

At a news conference in Bahrain before flying here, Cohen said Iran is testing a Chinese-made, anti-ship missile that can be launched from aircraft. Iran already has cruise missiles based on shore and aboard ships.

Cohen’s disclosure fit with the message he has delivered on each stop of his five-nation Persian Gulf tour: Iran poses a danger to its militarily weaker neighbors and should not be accepted as a normal member of the world community. Cohen also pressed the case for keeping sanctions on Iraq.

His sharp rhetoric was in contrast to the more restrained tone adopted by President Clinton after Iranians elected a moderate cleric, Mohammad Khatami, president last month.