Iran tests more missles ahead of meeting

TEHERAN: Iran test-fired missiles yesterday which a commander said could reach any regional target, flexing its military muscle before crucial talks tomorrow with major powers worried about Teheran's nuclear ambitions.

The missile drills of the elite Revolutionary Guards coincide with escalating tension in Iran's nuclear dispute with the West, after last week's disclosure by Teheran that it is building a second uranium enrichment plant.

Iranian Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi, who heads the country's nuclear program, said over the weekend that UN nuclear inspectors could visit the nuclear site and that Iran and the IAEA would work out the timing of the inspection. Washington has been pushing for heavier sanctions if Iran does not agree to end enrichment. Moscow yesterday called for restraint over the recent missile events in Iran, urging all sides to "start efficient negotiations".