Iran could fire a nuclear missile within two years....

And, no one will do anything about it....

The International Institute for Strategic Studies said Iran's missile development programme was expanding in tandem with its drive to acquire an atomic capability.

The Sajjil-2 missile, with a range of 1,400 miles, was test-fired at the end of 2008 and will be ready for deployment in 2012. The weapon relies on solid fuel for propulsion, which means it has a short preparation time and can't be as easily deterred by a pre-emptive strike.

Although the missile is initially likely to carry a conventional warhead, the development of similar missiles in other countries has been closely tied to a nuclear weapons programme.

"Iran is the only country to have developed a missile of this reach without first having developed nuclear weapons," the report said.

The missile would be capable of hitting Israel and parts of southern Europe depending on the size of the warhead. A nuclear device weighting between 750 kilograms and one ton could be placed on the models seen in testing.