Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on February 9 announced the development of a surface-to-surface missile whose stated range would put arch foe Israel within reach.
The Guards’ Sepahnews website said the missile was named the Khaybarchekan after a victorious battle fought by the Prophet Mohammed in the seventh century.
Armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri described it as a strategic, “long-range” missile.
The Guards’ Sepahnews website said the missile has a range of 1,450km, runs on solid fuel and is capable of penetrating anti-missile systems.
It was unveiled during a visit to a surface-to-surface missile base of the Guards’ air force, with the chief of the aerospace department Amirali Hajizadeh present.
“Its manoeuvrability and extreme speed allow it to reach targets within a radius of 1,450km,” the website said.
Iran has the largest arsenal of missiles in the Middle East.
On December 24, the Islamic republic fired 16 ballistic missiles to conclude military drills described by generals as a warning to Israel.
The Jewish state is located little more than 1,000km from Iran’s western frontier.
Bagheri on February 7 said Iran was “self-sufficient in terms of military equipment”, noting it could become one of the world’s largest arms exporters if US sanctions were lifted.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a London-based think tank, says that Iran has about 20 types of ballistic missiles as well as cruise missiles and drones, and that Tehran’s current priority is to increase the accuracy of its missiles.
