The United States has test-fired an unarmed LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, often referred to as the “doomsday missile,” during a period of rising tensions linked to the Iran conflict. The missile, which has a range of about 13,000 km and is capable of carrying nuclear warheads, was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

According to the US Air Force Global Strike Command, the missile travelled thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean before its test re-entry vehicles struck a target at the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The missile carried two non-nuclear test re-entry vehicles designed to collect data on performance, reliability and accuracy.

US officials emphasized that the launch was part of a routine test scheduled years in advance and was not connected to current tensions in the Middle East. Engineers and weapons specialists monitored the flight, as part of a long-running programme that has conducted more than 300 similar tests to ensure the reliability of the country’s land-based nuclear deterrent.