Iran has deployed about six largemissiles near the Strait of Hormuz which increase the threat to
shipping in the Gulf, the New York Times said.
    The paper quoted U.S. Intelligence sources as saying the
missiles appeared to be of a Chinese design known as HY-2 which
is based on the Soviet SSN2 or Styx missile.
    Styx missiles have a range of up to 50 miles.
    It said the missiles had been deployed at two sites and
quoted a naval analyst as saying they could be used to sink a
supertanker and block the Strait of Hormuz.
    Missiles now used by Iran had only a fraction of the
explosive power of the Styx and could sink a supertanker only
with a lucky hit, the paper said. None of the new missiles had
been fired yet, it added.
    The CBS television network reported on Friday that Iran had
installed new missiles along the Gulf and said Washington had
warned Tehran not to use them against civilian shipping.
 REUTER
