Iran vowed on Sunday to use a new 2,000-pound “smart” bomb against its enemies and unveiled mass production of the new weapon, state television reported.

Tehran first announced development of the long-range guided bomb on Thursday, saying it could be deployed by the country’s aging US-made F-4 and F-5 fighter jets.

“We will use these (bombs) against our enemies when the time comes,” Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said on state television on Sunday.

The broadcast included a brief clip of a fighter jet reportedly dropping one of the bombs, which destroyed a target on the ground. The defence minister continued his threats as state television showed him unveiling a mass production line for the weapon in Tehran.

“We will use this weapon where we want to ... hit enemy’s strategic and defence targets,” Najjar said. “This will be used against our enemies, against those who violate our land and air space.”

Emanuel Winston, a Middle East analyst at the US-based Freeman Centre for Strategic Studies, said on Thursday that Iran’s smart bomb claim sounded “plausible” but cautioned that missile development would be more dangerous given the limited range of the country’s aircraft.

Najjar was more aggressive, saying the bomb “remarkably increases Iran’s defence capabilities.”

Tehran often announces new weapons for its arsenal, but the United States maintains that while the Islamic Republic has made some strides, many of these statements are exaggerations.

Meanwhile, diplomats said Iran seems to have made little progress towards enriching uranium in significant amounts this summer but it is unclear whether technical problems or fear of stiffer UN curbs are behind the slowdown.