Iran Test-Fires Missiles

Even as the eyes of the world focus on its ally Syria, Iran is making sure no one forgets about it with a series of saber-rattling exercises. The country is conducting 10 days of missile tests aimed at targets at sea, and it has also revealed a previously secret network of underground missile silos. Iran insists the exercises are for defensive purposes, training in case of an attack from the U.S., Israel, or elsewhere, and says they should send a message of “peace and friendship” to the region. Nonetheless, the military is offering strong words. “America has made things easier for us by stationing its garrisons and camps in neighboring countries,” one general said of the prospect of war.