Iran involved in a second night of missile tests

Iran carried out a second night of missile tests in the Persian Gulf, despite drawing Western criticism for undertaking a similar drill 24 hours earlier. The US said on Wednesday that Tehran should halt further tests if it wanted to gain the world’s trust.

Washington fears Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is pushing to develop nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists its nuclear programme has only civilian goals. Iranian state media reported the launch of ground-to-sea, surface-to-surface and sea-to-air missiles went off without a hitch.

The United States has said it will not rule out military action against Iran but wants a diplomatic solution to the dispute.

US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice indicated that America has beefed up its security presence in the Gulf and would not hesitate to defend Israel and other allies in the region

“ America is determined to prevent Iran from threatening our interests and the interests of our allies,” she said.

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