The Iranian missile tests "should bother not only Israel. It should bother the Arab countries, Islamic countries, the Gulf region, North Africa and Europe. We are always warning the world about this phenomenon called Iran," Ben-Eliezer said.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards fire missiles during a war game in a desert near Qom, southeast of Tehran, November 2, 2006. [Reuters]

Iran already has held three large-scale military exercises this year. It often uses maneuvers to test weapons developed by its arms industry.

Safavi, whose elite Revolutionary Guards conducted the missile tests, said the maneuvers that began Thursday, named "Great Prophet," would take place in the Gulf, the Sea of Oman and several provinces of Iran. He did not say how many troops were involved.

State radio quoted the air force chief of the Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Hossein Salami, as saying: "A large number of advanced missiles, different in range, warhead and kind, were successfully test fired at the same time."

State TV reported that among the rockets fired was the Shahab-2, which has a warhead that can distribute 1,400 bomblets at the same time. It also said the troops launched solid-fuel Zalzal missiles, guided missiles as well as Scud-B, Zolfaghar-73 and Z-3 rockets.

Iran has already held three large-scale military exercises this year. In its April exercises, Iran tested what it called an "ultra-horizon" missile, which is fired from helicopters and jet fighters, and the Fajr-3 missile, which can reportedly evade radar and use multiple warheads to hit several targets simultaneously.

While US officials have suggested that Iran is exaggerating the capabilities of its newly developed weapons, Washington and its allies have been watching the country's progress in missile technology with concern. Last December, Israel successfully tested its Arrow missile defense system against a rocket similar to Iran's Shahab-3. The Arrow was developed jointly with the United States.

The US-led maneuvers that finished Monday focused on surveillance, with warships tracking a ship suspected of carrying components of illegal weapons. The nations that took part were Australia, Bahrain, Britain, France, Italy and the United States.

The UN Security Council is considered imposing sanctions on Iran, which has ignored demands that it cease uranium enrichment, a process that can produce the fuel for nuclear reactors or material for bombs.

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