TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday said it had acquired missiles with multiple warheads, the latest armaments advance to be claimed by the Islamic Republic. 
 
 This photo released on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 by the Iranian Defense Ministry, purports to show missiles Fateh-110, right, and Persian Gulf in an undisclosed location in Iran. Iran's powerful Revolutionary... (Associated Press) 
 
 This photo released on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 by the Iranian Defense Ministry, purports to show missiles Fateh-110, top, and Persian Gulf, bottom, in an undisclosed location in Iran. Iran's powerful... (Associated Press) 
 
 This photo released on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 by the Iranian Defense Ministry, purports to show Qadr and Qiam missiles in an undisclosed location in Iran. Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday... (Associated Press) 
 
 This photo released on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 by the Iranian Defense Ministry, shows Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan, center, and two top Revolutionary Guard commanders walk past Qadr and Qiam missiles... (Associated Press) 
 
 This photo released on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 by the Iranian Defense Ministry, purports to show missiles Fateh-110, top, and Persian Gulf, bottom, in an undisclosed location in Iran. Iran's powerful... (Associated Press) 
 
 This photo released on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 by the Iranian Defense Ministry, purports to show Qadr and Qiam missiles in an undisclosed location in Iran. Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday... (Associated Press) 
 
 At a ceremony Wednesday, Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan presented a delivery of four types of ballistic missiles — named Qiam, Qadr H1, Fateh-110 and Persian Gulf. The Qadr H1 and Qiam, he said, are equipped with multiple warheads, greatly boosting their destructive power. 
 
 "These missiles are able to hit and destroy enemy targets with precision, and they meet a variety of the armed forces' needs," Dehghan said. "The weapons have strengthened Iran's deterrence power and military might," he added, in comments were posted on the Guard's website. 
 
 Iran regularly announces breakthroughs in military technology that are impossible to independently verify. But the Pentagon released a rare public report in 2012 noting significant advances in Iranian missile technology, acknowledging that Tehran has improved their accuracy and firing capabilities. 
 
 Dehghan said Western sanctions have not stopped Iran from boosting its ability to deter its enemies, a reference to Israel and the U.S. 
 
 "Comprehensive sanctions enforced strictly by enemies ... didn't cause the slightest crack in our determination and will," he said. 
 
 Many of Iran's missiles use solid fuel, or a combination of both solid and liquid fuel, improving the accuracy of the weapons. 
 
 Iran has a variety of missiles, some with a reported range of 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles), enough to reach much of the Middle East. Military commanders have described them as a strategic asset and a strong deterrent, capable of hitting U.S. bases or Israel in the event of a strike on Iran. 
 
 Semiofficial Fars news agency provided details on the medium-range Qiam missile for the first time, saying it was the latest missile developed by Gen. Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, the father of Iran's missile program who died in a testing accident in 2011. 
 
 Qiam, Fars said, was specifically built to target U.S. bases in the region, which he said have encircled Iran. With a range of 800 kilometers, the 6-ton missile has been described in Iranian media as ushering in a new era of ballistic missile production for the country. 
 
 "It sums up the country's 25-year defense industry experience in aerospace. Qiam's wingless design is one of the characteristics that gives it greater speed and the capability to be launched from various launchers," Fars said. 
 
 The liquid-fuel Qiam is 16 meters long and its warhead has a weight of 746 kilograms, Fars added. ||||| Dear Reader, As you can imagine, more people are reading The Jerusalem Post than ever before. Nevertheless, traditional business models are no longer sustainable and high-quality publications, like ours, are being forced to look for new ways to keep going. Unlike many other news organizations, we have not put up a paywall. We want to keep our journalism open and accessible and be able to keep providing you with news and analyses from the frontlines of Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World. 
 
 
 
 
 
 The Israel Navy intercepted a ship early on Wednesday that Iran was using to smuggle dozens of long-range rockets to Gaza. 
 
 
 
 
 
 The IDF’s “Operation Discovery” took place in the Red Sea, 1,500 kilometers away from Israel and some 160 kilometers from Port Sudan. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz oversaw the raid.Missile ships and navy commandos from the Flotilla 13 unit, backed by the air force, raided the Klos-C cargo ship, which was carrying Syrian- manufactured M-302 rockets.The ship’s crew is in Israeli custody, and the navy is towing the vessel to Eilat, where it is expected to arrive in the coming days.The rockets originated in Syria, according to Military Intelligence assessments. Iran reportedly flew the rockets from Syria to an Iranian airfield, trucked them to the seaport of Bander Abbas, and shipped them to Iraq, where they were hidden in cement sacks. The ship then set sail for Port Sudan, near the Sudanese-Eritrean border, on a journey that was expected to last some 10 days.Had the shipment not been intercepted, the rockets could have been unloaded at Port Sudan and taken overland, through Egypt into Sinai, and through smuggling tunnels into the Gaza Strip.“This is the same known land route that the Iranians have been using to smuggle arms to Gaza,” Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said.One day before the Klos-C reached its destination, the navy took control of it. There were no injuries, and the captain of the ship permitted the IDF to board without resistance, the head of the navy’s headquarters, V.-Adm. Yaron Levi, said.The ship sailed under a Panama flag, and carried a crew of 17 from various countries.(The Klos-C, Screenshot, IDF Spokesperson)“We have certain proof that Iran was behind this,” a senior military source said.“We don’t yet know what the crew did or did not know.“We found the rockets packed closely together on board,” the source added.OC Navy Adm. Ram Rotenberg was on board one of the missile ships involved in the operation, the source confirmed.Iran is believed to store some of its rockets in Syria for future transit to terrorist organizations.The lengthy smuggling route was apparently intended to prevent Israeli intelligence from tracking the weapons.The arrival of M-302 rockets in Gaza, with a range of between 100 and 200 kilometers (depending on upgrades carried out on their motors), would have represented a new level of threat to the Israeli home front.US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed the raid on Wednesday, and added that “the White House directed the Department of Defense to monitor the vessel.”The US had prepared “unilateral steps” to stop the shipment, but Israel offered to handle the ship, Psaki said.The planned transfer of arms would violate UN Security Council resolutions, she said.The IDF Spokesman’s Office said the operation was made possible by inter-agency intelligence cooperation and the military’s enhanced capabilities.“This prevented the arrival of a shipment of deadly and advanced weapons, which was aimed at harming Israeli civilians, and intended to reach the terrorist organizations of the Gaza Strip that are waging armed confrontation against Israel,” the spokesman said.The naval commando teams acted in accordance with international law during the raid, and boarded the ship for searches before uncovering the rockets, the spokesman said.“The IDF will continue to act against the regional arms race that is being led by Iran, which is trying to set the region alight,” the military said. It vowed to “use all of the capabilities at its disposal to ensure the security of Israeli civilians.”Speaking at a press conference at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Gantz paid tribute to cooperation among intelligence agencies, and to the navy, which he said led the operation “professionally and resolutely.”The IDF is engaged in combating arms smuggling in the North and South, he said. “This requires a widespread intelligence effort, and from time to time, active operations that we must take at the appropriate level. We call this the ‘war between wars,’ and we try to reduce the heavy threats that mainly come from Iran and its Quds Force,” the chief of staff said.“We’ve been following this arms shipment for a long time,” Gantz said. He described the intelligence behind the operation as “impressive. Today, we are harvesting the fruit of this intelligence. I’d like to thank Military Intelligence, Naval intelligence, and the navy for the cooperation that allowed us to carry out a concrete, operational step.“This is one of many operations.We thwarted a weapons smuggling effort to Gaza, and at the same time, we exposed the reality of Iranian arms smuggling as it was happening,” Gantz said.The rockets would have had a “very serious impact on Israeli territory” had the reached Gaza, he said. “I’m very pleased we were able to stop it,” Gantz said.Ya’alon likewise noted that “this operation prevented a significant threat to Israeli civilians.Not all of the weapons on the vessel have been exposed, and they would certainly have threatened millions of Israelis had they reached Gaza. What this shows, and it is clear, is that in Gaza we have a terrorist entity, an Iranian arm, certainly Islamic Jihad, which is funded, trained and armed by Iran. This also shows that we have an Iranian regime that smiles on one side – to the Western world, mainly – but also continues with its nuclear project and with developing long-range missiles that can carry nuclear warheads. It is also the No. 1 terror exporter in the world.”Hamas, Islamic Jihad and smaller terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip are constantly working to build up their rocket arsenal.Israeli intelligence estimated that at the end of 2013, Hamas possessed 5,000 short-range rockets that could threaten southern cities, and dozens of medium-range rockets that could reach greater Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, placing 70 percent of Israeli civilians in its range.There are some 25,000 armed fighters in Gaza. Of those, 16,000 belong to Hamas divisions.Islamic Jihad has 5,000 fighters, split up into five divisions, and more than 2,000 rockets. Smaller groups have more than 4,000 terrorists in their ranks, and dozens of rockets, as well as a large quantity of light arms.In addition to replenishing its rocket arsenal, Hamas is trying to increase its capability to carry out terrorist attacks. It possesses anti-aircraft missiles, as well.Last month, Gantz acknowledged that Israel was keeping a close eyes on developments in Gaza, and warned Hamas that it would “regret” any decision to attack Israel.Michael Wilner contributed to this report from Washington. 
 
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 ||||| JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli naval forces raided a ship in the Red Sea early Wednesday and seized dozens of advanced rockets from Iran destined for Palestinian militants in Gaza that would have significantly boosted their ability to strike Israeli citizens, the military said. 
 
 This photo released by the Israel Defense Forces shows a missile on an intercepted ship in the Red Sea Wednesday, March 5, 2014. Israeli naval forces raided a ship deep in the Red Sea early Wednesday... (Associated Press) 
 
 This photo released by the Israel Defense Forces shows a missile on an intercepted ship in the Red Sea Wednesday, March 5, 2014. Israeli naval forces raided a ship deep in the Red Sea early Wednesday... (Associated Press) 
 
 This photo released by the Israel Defense Forces shows a missile on an intercepted ship in the Red Sea Wednesday, March 5, 2014. Israeli naval forces raided a ship deep in the Red Sea early Wednesday... (Associated Press) 
 
 The ship, the KLOS C, was carrying Syrian-made M-302 rockets and was intercepted more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) south of Israel off the coasts of Sudan and Eritrea, military spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner told reporters. 
 
 He said the M-302 rockets have a range of up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) and would have significantly improved the capabilities of Gaza militants, putting nearly all of Israel in their range. Previously, Gaza militants have only been able to reach about 50 miles (80 kilometers) into Israel with their homegrown M-75 missiles. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah used M-302s in a 2006 war against Israel, the military said. 
 
 There was no immediate comment from Iran or Gaza's Hamas rulers about the Israeli claims. 
 
 The operation, codenamed "Full Disclosure," followed months of intelligence gathering. Lerner said the shipment originated in Syria. From there the weapons were flown to Iran and departed from the Bandar Abbas port. Lerner said the Iranians tried to "obscure their tracks" by shipping first via Iraq and then out to sea. The shipment was destined for Sudan, from where it was to be moved overland through Egypt to Gaza, the army said. Israel says militants have used similar routes in the past. 
 
 Lerner said the 17 crew members of the ship, flying under a Panama flag, were not suspects and were probably unaware of the content of their cargo. The vessel was being brought to the port of Eilat, Israel's most southerly point, where the crew would be released and the cache unloaded. It was expected to arrive later this week. 
 
 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting the U.S. this week, held a series of talks with Israeli defense officials ahead of the ship's takeover. He took the opportunity to warn world powers about the consequences of a nuclear Iran. Netanyahu has been a harsh critic of world powers' negotiations with the Islamic Republic, saying the international community has given it too much relief from sanctions while getting few concessions in return. Netanyahu believes Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb — a charge Tehran denies. 
 
 "At a time when it talks with the world powers, at a time when Iran is smiling and saying all sorts of pleasantries, that same Iran is sending lethal weapons to terror organizations and it is doing it with an elaborate network of covert global operations with the aim of streaming rockets, missiles and other lethal weapons to harm innocent civilians. This is the real Iran and that country must not be able to have a nuclear weapon," he said. 
 
 Video released by the military showed Israeli soldiers on the ship inspecting the rockets, shipped in large crates. The video also showed beige bags containing cement with the words "Made in I.R. Iran," in English, written on them. 
 
 Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said the weapons headed for Gaza were "strategically important." 
 
 "Iran trains, funds and arms terror groups in the region and around the world and its failed attempts to transfer the arms that were discovered this morning is more proof of that," he said. 
 
 Gaza is ruled by Hamas, an Islamic militant group that already possesses thousands of rockets. A number of smaller groups, including the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad, and al-Qaida-inspired groups also possess rockets. All have engaged in frequent rocket fire toward communities in southern Israel. The military did not specify to which group the latest shipment was believed to be destined. 
 
 Israel accuses Iran of supplying rockets and other arms to its foes — militants in Gaza and Lebanon's Hezbollah — and it has moved to intercept weapons shipments in the past. 
 
 Three years ago, Israel seized the cargo ship Victoria loaded with weapons allegedly sent by Iran to Gaza militants, including land-to-sea missiles. 
 
 In November 2009, Israel took over the Iranian Francop vessel off the coast of Cyprus and captured hundreds of tons of rockets, missiles, mortars, grenades and anti-tank weapons on board that it said were headed to Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. 
 
 Israel is also suspected of carrying out airstrikes in Sudan on arms shipments believed to be bound for Gaza. Israel has never confirmed carrying out the strikes. 
 
 In January 2002, Israeli forces stormed the Karine A freighter on the Red Sea, and confiscated what the military said was 50 tons of missiles, mortars, rifles and ammunition headed for Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. 
 
 In May 2001, Israel captured the vessel Santorini off its coastline, packed with explosives Israel said were being sent from Hezbollah to Palestinian militant groups. 
 
 Israel's foreign ministry said Israeli troops boarded the ship in accordance with international law and with the consent of the crew and the relevant authorities. It said the ship was operated by a company registered in the Marshall Islands. 
 
 "The missiles and weapons found on the ship were loaded and concealed by Iran," it said. "The weapons were intended for Palestinian terror groups in Gaza, who would use it to harm Israeli civilians, as they have done in the past." 
 
 It added that Israel will lodge a formal complaint with the United Nations' Security Council and with a sanctions committee established under Security Council resolution 1737. 
 
 "In terms of maritime law we have the right to board a ship we identify as dealing with terror, carrying weapons that are meant to endanger the state of Israel," Yedidia Yaari, a former chief of Israel's navy, told Israeli Channel 10 TV. 
 
 Another former navy chief, Vice Admiral Eliezer Marom, said Iran's smuggling efforts to Israel's enemies was almost a daily activity. He said it was orchestrated by a special unit of the "Quds Force," part of the Revolutionary Guards. 
 
 "There are people waking up very day and their mission is to smuggle weapons to the terrorist organizations so they will be directed to the citizens of Israel," he said. ||||| Israeli naval forces on Wednesday intercepted an Iranian arms vessel carrying medium-range missiles in the Red Sea, about some 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from the Israeli coast. The shipment was headed for the Gaza Strip via Sudan. 
 
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 Special forces from the Shayetet 13 (Flotilla 13) unit overpowered the cargo vessel named the Klos C – which is registered in Panama – in the early morning hours. A search aboard the vessel uncovered dozens of 302mm rockets, which are manufactured in Syria and were fired into Israel by Hezbollah during the 2006 Second Lebanon War. The rockets have a range of about 100 kilometers (about 62 miles). 
 
 "We have conclusive evidence that there were rockets on board the ship, and we have proof and can say with certainty that Iran is behind this operation," a senior Israel Defense Forces officer said. 
 
 The officer said that the rockets originated in Syria, were loaded onto airplanes at the Damascus airport from which they were transported to Iran. There they were boarded onto the cargo ship, which set sail about 10 days ago en route to a port in Sudan. 
 
 The IDF tracked the ship, saying it sailed north toward Iraq instead of heading directly toward the African country. The army believes that, in Iraq, the rockets were covered with cement bags in an attempt to disguise the shipment after which the vessel continued to sail toward Sudan. 
 
 'Smiles and deadly weapons' 
 
 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is in the United States following the AIPAC policy conference, on Wednesday spoke with Israel's top defense officials, including Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz and Mossad Director Tamir Pardo, to praise them for the successful operation. 
 
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 "At a time when Iran is talking with world powers, is smiling and uttering pleasantries, it is also sending deadly weapons to terrorist organizations – via an elaborate network of secret operations around that world that aim to funnel rockets, missiles and other deadly weapons to be used to harm innocent civilians," Netanyahu said. "This is the real Iran, and this country must not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. We will continue to do everything we must to protect the citizens of Israel." 
 
 Israel is hoping the incident will help prove to the P5+1 that Iran is still deceiving the West, despite the friendly tone characterizing the recent talks in Vienna over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. 
 
 The Israeli raid took place a day before the ship was set to dock in Sudan, some 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) off the coast of Israel. A senior Israeli officer who spoke to reporters said the rockets' final destination was meant to be terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip. 
 
 "They intended to unload the rockets in Port Sudan and transfer them to Gaza from there, presumably through Sinai," the officer said. 
 
 Once the Israeli forces raided the ship, they began to alter its route toward the Port of Eilat, where it is expected to arrive in about three days. The 17 crew members aboard the Panamanian-flagged ship were questioned by Israeli authorities and it appeared as though they did not have a role in the operation. 
 
 The scope of the arms shipment remains unclear, although the army says it contains dozens of rockets which were being tallied by the navy. Israel Navy Commander Ram Rothberg oversaw the operation from a missile boat at sea, while Gantz supervised from the Defense Ministry complex in Tel Aviv. 
 
 The army said that Gantz on Tuesday ordered naval forces to intercept the ship after receiving a green light from the government. The IDF spokesman said the operation was carried out "in accordance with international law" and that "the IDF would continue to thwart the arms race that Iran is leading in an attempt to inflame the region, and will use all means at its disposal to ensure the security of Israelis citizens." 
 
 Iran tried to ship advanced missiles to terrorists in Gaza. We stopped them. #IranFail — IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) March 5, 2014 
 
 The spokesperson of Hamas' Interior Ministry said Wednesday that the seizure of the arms shipment by the IDF is an Israeli pretext to justify the Gaza blockade. He said Hamas knows that Gaza's maritime zone is under Israeli surveillance and that any ship that attempts to pass through would be stopped and that Gaza resistance forces are not so naïve as to send a large arms shipment via the sea. 
 
 The Palestinian leadership in Ramallah did not issue an official response to the takeover of the ship but Palestinian officials told Haaretz that the operation raises questions regarding the timing of the operation. "The ship has been sailing for weeks and it is seized exactly when Netanyahu is in Washington," the official said. "The entire operation and the reports raise many questions regarding the timing and whether the event was real or fabricated." 
 
 Ya'alon on Wednesday said the attempted arms shipment is further proof that "Gaza is a terrorist entity under Iranian auspices preparing to strike deep into Israel." 
 
 KLOS C raid 
 
 "It has once again become clear that Iran continues to be the greatest exporter of terror in the world, with the express purpose of destabilizing the Middle East," Ya'alon said in a statement. "Iran supplies financial support, arms and training to terror organizations in the region and around the world, and its failed effort to transfer the weapons discovered this morning, is additional evidence. The Iranian regime continues to deceive the world; while it shows its smiling face it continues to be the biggest threat to world peace," Ya'alon said. 
 
 This is not the first time Israel has seized a ship carrying a cargo of concealed weapons. 
 
 In March 2011, the "Victoria," a German-owned ship sailing under a Liberian flag, was intercepted and seized by Israeli special forces some 200 kilometers from the Israei coast. According to the IDF Spokesman, the ship, which started its voyage in Iran, was carrying several tons of concealed weapons destined for "the use of terror organizations operating in the Gaza Strip." 
 
 In 2009, after reportedly being tipped off by the U.S., Israel raided the "Francop" off the coast of Cyprus and redirected it to the Ashdod port, where it unloaded 500 tons of weapons. The ship was allegedly en route from Iran to Hezbollah. 
 
 Perhaps the most famous such incident occured in 2003, when IDF forces seized the "Karine A", a vessel carrying 50 tons of missiles, mortars, rifles and ammunition destined for Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. 
 
 The ship's cargo including rockets and missiles that could have reached Ben-Gurion International Airport and major Israeli cities from PA territory. Both Iran and the PA denied any involvement.
– Israel raided a cargo vessel today that it says was loaded with Iranian missiles bound for Gaza. A special forces unit took the Kloc C, which is registered in Panama, in an early-morning raid personally overseen by Israeli Defense Forces chief Chief Benny Gantz, Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post report. Inside they found dozens of Syrian-built M-302 rockets of the sort Hamas used during the 2006 Lebanon war. "We have proof and can say with certainty that Iran is behind this," a senior IDF officer said. Israel believes the rockets were first flown from Damascus to Iran, and then shipped to Iraq, where they were hidden in cement, and finally to Gaza via Sudan. Israel attacked the ship before it could reach Sudan, when it was less than 1,000 miles from Israel's coast. Hamas dismissed the report as a ruse designed to justify Israel's Gaza blockade. Iran has not yet responded, according to the AP, but the Revolutionary Guard did announce today that it now has missiles with multiple warheads.