Latest news with #Kheibar
Shafaq News
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iran unleashes Kheibar missile in 21st wave of attacks on Israel
Shafaq News/ Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched, on Monday, the 21st wave of its True Promise 3 campaign, deploying a combination of precision-guided drones and ballistic missiles in response to ongoing Israeli strikes. In a statement, the IRGC confirmed that the latest barrage marked the first operational use of the multi-warhead Kheibar missile and introduced new targeting tactics aimed at maximizing accuracy and impact. The strikes hit Israeli positions across the northern, central, and southern regions, the IRGC added. The escalation followed Israel's latest air assault, including a direct strike on Iran's Fordow nuclear facility—a central component of its atomic infrastructure. Since June 13, Iran and Israel have traded daily missile and drone attacks. Despite mounting international pressure for de-escalation, both sides continue to exchange fire across multiple fronts.
Shafaq News
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iran prepares "unprecedented" response to US strikes on nuclear sites
Shafaq News/ Iran is expected to launch a retaliatory response within hours using 'unprecedented tools,' diplomatic sources revealed on Sunday, following US airstrikes on three major nuclear facilities inside Iran—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—carried out in coordination with Israel. The sources told Shafaq News that Tehran's imminent response will target critical infrastructure sites of strategic importance, mirroring the significance of the Iranian nuclear facilities recently struck. Among the weapons Iran is poised to deploy are advanced Kheibar and Sejjil ballistic missiles, alongside other capabilities being introduced into the battlefield for the first time, the sources added. Tehran is reportedly awaiting a United Nations Security Council resolution affirming its right to self-defense and peaceful nuclear energy. The proposed resolution also calls for an immediate cessation of the escalating exchange of strikes with Israel. However, sources noted that the United States may veto the resolution, which is expected to be put to a vote on Monday. One senior diplomat suggested that a new dialogue channel between Washington and Tehran—possibly mediated by Russia or Oman—could emerge if both sides agree to suspend military operations. 'The backchannel is contingent on halting the strikes,' the source said. The report follows the abrupt collapse of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States, which began on April 12. Talks, led by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, had reached their fifth round, with modest signs of progress despite firm positions on uranium enrichment. A sixth round was scheduled but was canceled after Israel launched a surprise air assault on Iran on June 13 under the codename Operation Rising Lion. That operation, aimed at eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat, reportedly killed several senior Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran responded to the Israeli strike the same night with missile attacks on Tel Aviv, initiating a continuing pattern of mutual bombardments that has persisted for over a week. The diplomatic sources emphasized that the coming hours are critical. 'What Iran does next could define the trajectory of the entire Middle East.'
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First Post
22-06-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Khorramshahr-4: Iran's biggest missile used against Israel after US attack
In retaliation for America's strikes targeting Iran's nuclear sites, Tehran launched the Khorramshahr-4 missile against Israel. Also known as the Kheibar missile, it is the country's biggest rocket, with a range of 2,000 km and the capability of carrying multiple warheads of up to 1,800 kg read more The fourth generation Khorramshahr ballistic missile, also called Kheibar, with a range of 2,000 km. Hours after US struck nuclear facilities in Iran, Tehran attacked Israel with this missile. File image/Reuters Things are really hotting up now. Hours after the United States struck three nuclear facilities that are the heart of Tehran's nuclear ambitions, Iran struck back by launching wave of missiles towards Israel. Eighty-six people have been rushed with injuries following Iran's air strikes, which targeted the Ben Gurion airport, a 'biological research centre', logistics bases and various layers of command and control centres. IRNA news agency said 40 missiles were fired in the '20th wave' of Iranian strikes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Catch all live updates from US joining Israel's war against Iran here Speaking on the damage incurred, Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai told AFP, 'Houses here were hit very, very badly. Those who were in the shelter are all safe and well. The damage is very, very extensive, but in terms of human life, we are okay.' Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) said that among the many missiles used in the wave of strikes was the deadly Khorramshahr-4 missile, which is also called Kheibar, after a Jewish fortress conquered by the Muslims in the 7th century — in what is now Saudi Arabia. Here's what we know about this missile and how dangerous it can be. 1) The Khorramshahr-4 missile is an Iranian liquid-fuelled, medium-range ballistic missile developed by Iranian state-owned defence company Aerospace Industries Organisation (AIO). 2) The Khorramshahr-4 missile was first test fired in January 2017, and publicly displayed at a September 2017 military parade in Tehran. A variant of Khorramshahr with a smaller and lighter re-entry vehicle than the previous version was paraded in Tehran in September 2019. 3) Some defence experts note that the Khorramshahr-4 missile, also known as the Kheibar missile, is derived from North Korea's Hwasong-10 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), which in turn is a modified version of the outdated Soviet R-27 (SS-N-6) submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). 4) However, there are distinct differences between Iran's missile and the North Korean weapon. The Khorramshahr-4 missile, measuring 13 metres in length is larger than North Korea's Hwasong. Also, unlike the Hwasong-10, the Khorramshahr does not have grid fins. Its guidance equipment is housed in separate compartment above the tanks. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Iran's Defence Minister Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani speaks in a press conference during the unveiling of a new surface-to-surface fourth generation Khorramshahr ballistic missile in Tehran, Iran in May 2023. The Khorramshahr-4 missile is derived from North Korea's Hwasong-10 intermediate-range ballistic missile. File image/Reuters 5) This missile can reach Mach 16 outside the atmosphere and Mach 8 during re-entry, making it a high speed threat. 6) According to Iranian officials, the missile has a range of 2,000 km and is capable of carrying multiple warheads of up to 1,800 kg. However, some analysts note that the range may be much higher — reaching 2,500 km. 7) This missile is also capable of striking 80 targets upon reaching the target area. The warhead detaches at the last stage of flight and hits its targets with pinpoint accuracy at a high speed, hindering enemy air defence systems from detecting, tracking, or effectively engaging the missile to intercept it. 8) Analysts note that the Khorramshahr-4 missile poses a real threat to Israel's air defence systems; the Jewish nation's Iron Dome is unable to intercept it. The David's Sling system might stand a better chance, but would also experience difficult in defending the missile. According to a National Interest report, the Arrow Two and Arrow Three high-altitude interception systems would be the most effective, but would struggle to knock down multiple warheads deployed from the Khorramashahr-4 as they make their way to the targets below. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
On Cam: Iran ROCKS Tel Aviv, Haifa With 2 Waves Of Monster Missiles; At Least 86 Casualties
Iran has escalated its missile war with Israel by deploying its most powerful ballistic weapon - the Khorramshahr-4, also known as the 'Kheibar' missile. State TV aired footage claiming the missile was used in the latest barrage targeting cities like Tel Aviv and Haifa. The attacks injured at least 86 people. Read More
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iran Just Used Ballistic Missiles With Cluster Warheads To Strike Israel
Iran fired at least one ballistic missile with a warhead containing multiple submunitions as part of a particularly destructive barrage on Israel earlier today. Ballistic missiles loaded with cluster munitions present additional complications for defending forces, especially when it comes to intercept attempts in the terminal phase of flight. Readers can first get caught up on recent developments in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict in our reporting here. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front Command says the warhead on the missile in question split open at an altitude of approximately 23,000 feet (seven kilometers) and released an estimated 20 submunitions, Emanuel Fabian of The Times of Israel posted on X. The submunitions, each of which contained some 5.5 pounds (2.5 kilograms) of explosives, were scattered across an area approximately 10 miles (16 kilometers) in diameter. Whether or not this is the first time Iran has employed a ballistic missile with a cluster munitions payload in strikes on Israel is unclear. The cluster bombs are estimated to have 2.5kg of explosives each. — Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 19, 2025 At the time of writing, the exact type of Iranian missile that carried the cluster munition warhead is unclear. Iranian media outlets linked to the country's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) did share a video showing the launch of a Khorramshahr-4 medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) earlier this morning, prompting speculation about its use. The Khorramshahr-4 is also sometimes called the Kheibar (not to be confused with Iran's unrelated Kheibar Shekan ballistic missile), which is a reference to a seventh-century victory by Muslim forces over Jewish tribes. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had also made a callback to that battle in the context of the current conflict in a social media post on Tuesday. However, the Khorramshahr-4/Kheibar footage that is now circulating widely online is from a test in 2023, and there do not appear to be explicit claims from Iran about its use. As of yet, no other evidence has emerged of Iranian forces having employed these missiles, with or without cluster warheads, in its retaliatory strikes on Israel. This is old testing footage released back in May 2023. — Fabian Hinz (@fab_hinz) June 19, 2025 The potential combat debut of the Khorramshahr-4/Kheibar is something experts and observers have been keeping an eye out for, as it is assessed to be one of the most capable longer-range ballistic missiles in Iran's inventory. The original Khorramshahr first emerged publicly in 2017, and it is assessed to be derived, at least in part, from the North Korean Hwasong-10, also known as the BM-25 Musudan. It is a liquid-fuel medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) with a claimed range of around 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers). Iran has unveiled additional Khorramshahr variants since then, the most recent of which is the Khorramshahr-4/Kheibar, which made its public debut in 2023. At that time, Khorramshahr-4 was said to still have a maximum range of 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers), but the possibility has been raised that it could have a longer reach. This is based in part on the underlying Hwasong-10/BM-25 design being an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), which the U.S. military has assessed in the past to have a maximum range in excess of 1,860 miles (3,000 kilometers). Khorramshahr variants could exchange some payload weight for extra range. Khorramshahr-4 is understood to have the heaviest payload of any of Iran's ballistic missiles, with it said to be able to carry a warhead weighing up to 3,300 pounds. Iran has also claimed in the past that Khorramshahr variants can carry multiple, smaller warheads. Video: #Iran successfully test-fires new ballistic missileDetails: — Press TV (@PressTV) September 23, 2017 In the past, Iran has also shown cluster munition warheads with designs that are in line, at least externally, with ones used on older ballistic missiles, especially variants and derivatives of its Shahab-3 liquid-fueled MRBM. The original Shahab-3 was based on North Korea's Nodong series of missiles, which were themselves developed from the Soviet Scud family. For the first time, a SUB-MUNITION from an Iranian BM was found in Israel. It is not yet clear on what type of missile it was installed. — Tal Inbar (@inbarspace) June 19, 2025 Khamenei is looking at a sub-munition for installation in missiles. Sub munitions were found today after an Iranian BM was hitting central Israel. — Tal Inbar (@inbarspace) June 19, 2025 'Iranian media has for years advertised these sorts of cluster warheads as being able to 'rain' down bomblets against a wide target when dispersed at a certain altitude,' Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) think tank, told TWZ. Iran has explicitly said it has fired Emad and Ghadr MRBMs, both of which are evolutions of the Shahab-3 design, at Israel in the past week. There is also clear independent evidence of this, visible in post-strike wreckage, including from the strikes earlier today. Video of the 14th wave of the Iranian ballistic missiles launch toward Israel (Operation True Promise-3) today, June 19, 2025. — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) June 19, 2025 Image on left is a liquid propellant rocket engine, almost certainly from a missile in the Shahab-3 family.A copy of the North Korean Nodong engine, it is closely related to the engine used in the Soviet Scud-B. — Michael Duitsman (@DuitsmanMS) June 19, 2025 Emad and Ghadr (sometimes also written Qadr) entered service in the mid-2010s and are both understood to be able to reach targets up to around 1,056 and 1,118 miles (1,700 to 1,800 kilometers) away. Iran has also developed an extended-range version of Ghadr that is said to have a maximum reach of 1,242 miles (2,000 kilometers). In addition, Emad and Ghadr both feature maneuverable re-entry vehicles that detach from the main body of the missile in the terminal phase of flight, but they are generally assessed to be primarily focused on improving accuracy rather than evading enemy intercept attempts. Any kind of maneuvering re-entry vehicle does still present at least some degree of additional complexity for defending forces. Adding cluster munition warheads to the mix would increase the potential of Iranian ballistic missiles scoring hits on area targets, and increase the overall area a single missile could target at once. On a basic practical level, adding this capability to missiles like Emad and Ghadr makes sense given the relatively low accuracy they are understood to currently offer when fitted with unitary warheads. '[Sam Lair] and I estimated the 'circular error probable' (CEP) of the most accurate Shahab-3 variant, the Emad, demonstrated in Iran's March 2024 missile strike [on Israel]. We estimated the CEP at ~1.2 km [just under three-quarters of a mile],' Jeffery Lewis, head of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, wrote in a post today on X. 'That means whatever a Shahab-3 hits, Iran was most likely aiming at something else.' .@sam_lair and I estimated the "circular error probable" (CEP) of the most accurate Shahab-3 variant, the Emad, demonstrated in Iran's March 2024 missile strike. We estimated the CEP at ~1.2 km. That means whatever a Shahab-3 hits, Iran was most likely aiming at something else. — Dr. Jeffrey Lewis (@ArmsControlWonk) June 19, 2025 'The warhead can likely be married with several [missile types], but to strike Israel they all have to be MRBMs,' FDD's Taleblu also told TWZ. 'In this, instance the missile body is less important than the warhead.' As noted, ballistic missiles loaded with cluster munitions present additional challenges for defenders, especially if they cannot be intercepted before their warheads split open at higher altitudes. A very high altitude opening would also mean a more indiscriminate strike, which could be used to try to inflict as much damage as possible over a very wide target area, like a city. Typical cluster munitions are designed to release their payload at a specific height to saturate a more defined zone. Layering ballistic missiles with cluster munition payloads in larger salvos with other types carrying unitary warheads might also help create a decoy-like effect to further overwhelm an opponent's defenses. With this in mind, while the specific circumstances are still unknown, it is worth noting that the interception rate during Iran's particularly destructive missile barrage on Israel this morning was notably lower than what had been seen in previous salvos. A variety of other factors beyond the inclusion of cluster munition warheads could have played a role, as well. Video from Tel Aviv — Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) June 19, 2025 As part of its retaliatory strikes on Israel so far, Iran also says it has been using other ballistic missiles, including Sejjil, Haj Qassem, Kheibar Shekan, and Fattah-1 types, that further add to the complexity of the overall threat picture. Sejjil is a two-stage MBRM that is among the heavier payload designs in Iranian inventory. The Haj Qassem, Kheibar Shekan, and Fattah-1 are all solid fuel MRBMs. Compared to liquid-fueled ballistic missiles, solid-fuel types are generally faster and easier to launch, as well as safer to handle, reducing the total available time an opponent has to spot and preemptively target them before launch. Authorities in Iran have also explicitly touted these three missiles, all of which were unveiled in the past five years, as offering high terminal maneuverability and/or high peak speeds specifically intended to reduce their vulnerability to missile defense interceptors. The emergence of the Fattah-1 in 2023 was already seen as particularly significant, despite Iran's dubious description of it as a 'hypersonic' weapon. IRGC announces that the ballistic missiles used tonight in 12th wave of the True-Promise-3 operation were from the type Sejjil. — Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) June 18, 2025 New online analysis: 'Israel's attack and the limits of Iran's missile strategy' — Fabian Hinz (@fab_hinz) June 18, 2025 'To put the significance of the Fattah in context, it is better to put aside Iran's labeling of the system as a 'hypersonic missile' as the term can obscure more than it illuminates. Many surface-to-surface missiles achieve speeds within the atmosphere that cross the hypersonic threshold, that is greater than Mach 5,' Fabian Hinz, a research fellow for Defense and Military Analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, wrote in 2023. 'It is not speed alone that distinguishes the two main types of weapons known as hypersonic weapons – hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) and hypersonic cruise missiles (HCMs) – but also the ability to manoeuvre significantly during atmospheric flight, including at considerable cross-range.' These are points TWZ regularly highlights, and you can read more about the unique capabilities that highly maneuverable hypersonic weapons offer here. 'Fattah is neither of these two classes of weapon, but a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM),' but instead has a 'second stage [that] incorporates the warhead, aerodynamic controls and a small solid-propellant motor with a moveable nozzle for thrust vector control (TVC)' that 'resembles a maneuverable re-entry vehicle (MaRV) rather than a HGV.,' Hinz continued. 'Both MaRVs and HGVs are capable of atmospheric maneuvering at hypersonic speeds. A HGV's higher aerodynamic lift characteristics allow it to maneuver during mid-course flight, while a MaRV only does so for a short part of the flight in the terminal phase.' 'Iran attempted to overcome this limitation by mating a small TVC rocket motor to a MaRV, enabling exo-atmospheric maneuvering,' he added. 'The IRGC maintains that this arrangement will help the missile evade both endo- and exo-atmospheric interceptors. It also potentially offers improved accuracy over longer ranges.' Amid all of this, worrisome questions are already starting to emerge about the stocks of various types of anti-missile interceptors available to Israel, as well as U.S. forces in and around the country that have been helping to shoot down incoming Iranian threats since last week. As TWZ wrote in some of our previous coverage of the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict: 'The situation is something of a war of attrition over great distances. The question is will missile interceptors run out before Iran's ability to launch its own missiles does? At this time it seems Iran is on the downside of that equation, but midcourse intercept capabilities are especially limited in quantity and degradation of that defensive layer would put more stress on the terminal defense layer, even if fewer missiles are fired.' At the same time, Israel looks to have had significant success just in the past week in degrading Iranian ballistic missile capabilities. On Monday, Israel claimed it had destroyed a third of Iran's long-range surface-to-surface missile launchers. Though Iran continues to fire ballistic missiles at Israel, and they continue to cause casualties and physical damage, the size and frequency of the salvos have been significantly smaller than what many expected to see in the event of the conflict that has now erupted. Approx. 25 fighter jets struck over 40 missile infrastructure components directed toward Israel this morning, including missile storage sites and military operatives of the Iranian Regime. A loaded and ready-to-launch "Emad" missile launcher was also struck overnight. — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 18, 2025 What did the IAF accomplish in Iran last night? 20+ surface-to-surface missiles were dismantled minutes before they were to be launched toward Israel's home front. Approx. 100 military targets were struck in Isfahan, central Iran. Around 50 fighter jets and aircraft… — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 16, 2025 Iran is also likely to be keeping at least some stockpiles of ballistic missiles, including more capable types, in reserve should the conflict further expand in scale and cope, especially if the U.S. military were to take a more direct offensive role. More capable missiles may be increasingly required for strikes on Israel as Iranian forces are compelled to move further east to reduce their vulnerability to IDF strikes. Iran's new use of ballistic missiles loaded with cluster munitions underscores that it still has capabilities that have not yet been fully brought to bear that could add new dimensions to the ongoing conflict. Howard Altman contributed to this story. Contact the author: joe@
