Early on Monday, Iranian television announced that Tehran tested two long-range missiles with a range of up to 2,000 kilometers, which defense analysts have said could hit Israel and US bases in the Persian Gulf. The short- and medium-range missiles tested on Sunday have a range of between 100 and 400 kilometers.

A German foreign ministry spokesman said the missile tests were "troubling" and would not inspire trust ahead of Thursday's talks between the six major powers and the Islamic republic. Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany, are holding rare talks in Geneva this week to discuss Iran's nuclear programme.

"Tehran is testing missiles despite the fact that it wants to talk about regional peace and stability. This is not a signal that will build trust," foreign ministry spokesman Jens Ploetner said in a statement.

Trust breaking down fast

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said he was concerned about the tests especially against the backdrop of last week's announcement that Tehran was building a second uranium enrichment plant.

"Everything that is done in that context is a concern," said Solana from Gothenburg, Sweden, where he is meeting with EU defense ministers.

A spokesman for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Iran's weekend missile tests are "a matter of concern" but emphasised that Britain's main focus was on Iran's nuclear program.

The French foreign ministry was more vehement in its criticism and expressed "sharp concern" at the tests.

"These missile tests can only heighten the concerns of countries in the region and of the international community, given that Iran is developing a nuclear programme in parallel and that the existence of a clandestine enrichment site has just been revealed," the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

Moscow says wait and see

Moscow has called for restraint. "Now is not the time to succumb to emotions, it is necessary to calm down and above all to start up an effective negotiation process," a Russian foreign ministry source told the Interfax news agency.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said last Friday that Moscow would wait and see what the Geneva talks would bring. Medvedev said, without providing further details, that "other mechanisms" should be used to deal with Tehran's nuclear program.

Russia is traditionally restrained in criticizing Iran, but it did join global condemnation when it was revealed last week that Iran is building a second nuclear enrichment plant.

Western nations fear that Iran has secret ambitions to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran has always insisted that its nuclear program is only used for civilian purposes.

wl/AFP/Reuters/AP/dpa
Editor: Andreas Illmer