US looking to deploy intermediate-range missiles in Asia: Pentagon
Tehran (KNA) - United States Defense Secretary Mark Esper says he is in favor of placing ground-launched, intermediate-range missiles in Asia, a day after the United States pulled itself from a Cold War era arms control pact.
In an interview on Saturday, the new Pentagon chief, however, did not specify where the United States intended to deploy the weapons.
"Yes, I would like to," Esper told reporters traveling with him to Sydney when asked whether he would put such missiles in Asia.
"I would prefer [in] months, I just don't have the latest state of play on timelines for either a cruise missile or long-range missile ... but these things tend to take longer than you expect," he added.
The announcement came after the US formally left the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia on Friday.
Washington had accused Moscow of violating the treaty. Russia repeatedly denied the allegation.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday announced the US withdrawal from the Cold War-era treaty, blaming Russia for its "demise."
NATO also blamed Russia for the collapse of the treaty and vowed to respond in a "measured and responsible way" to Moscow's deployment of a cruise missile.
Source: PressTV