24-06-2025
From Kheibarshekan to Sejjil, a look at Iran's missile arsenal as conflict with Israel escalates
In a statement carried by the Tehran Times on Sunday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched 40 Kheibarshekan missiles for the first time as part of Operation True Promise 3, describing them as 'third-generation solid and liquid-fuelled ballistic missiles featuring multiple warheads and advanced terminal guidance systems'.
Notably, for the first time, Iran deployed the Kheibarshekan missile, its most advanced homegrown ballistic weapon, indicating a new phase of escalation.
New Delhi: Air raid sirens continued to sound over Jerusalem Monday amid an ongoing barrage of ballistic missiles from Iran. Sunday's salvo targeted Ben Gurion Airport, a biological research centre and multiple military command sites.
'The core of Iran's military capability remains unutilised and future responses will be even more decisive,' IRGC added in the statement.
The missile strikes came just hours after the United States launched coordinated strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites namely Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, signalling Washington's direct military entry into the conflict.
Just over ten days ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, striking key Iranian nuclear sites, and assassinating senior military officials and nuclear scientists. In retaliation, Iran began Operation True Promise, now in its third phase, marked by the mass deployment of ballistic missiles and drones aimed at overwhelming Israeli air defences through sheer volume and sustained pressure.
Since then, several Iranian missiles have breached Israeli defences. It is widely reported that Iran's strategy hinges on overwhelming air defence systems through sheer volume, launching large salvos of ballistic missiles and drones simultaneously to saturate air defence systems like the Iron Dome, David's Sling and Arrow-3. Even highly advanced systems can struggle to cope with such massed attacks, allowing some missiles to slip through and reach their targets.
Kheibarshekan deployed for first time
According to Iranian state media agency IRNA, the Kheibarshekan (meaning 'castle-breaker') missile is a third-generation system in the Khorramshahr ballistic missile family. It has an estimated range of 1,450 kilometers, placing most of Israel well within reach. Iran claims the missile can carry a 1,500 kg high-explosive warhead and features terminal guidance powered by satellite navigation, contributing to its reported high accuracy.
The missile is widely reported to be derived from North Korea's Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), which has a theoretical range of 2,500 to 4,000 kilometers. Analysts at the American think tank, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) suggest Iran may be underreporting the Kheibarshekan's true range, either due to design changes that prioritise tactical mobility or to avoid provoking Europe. 'I think they don't want to upset the Europeans,' one US official told Fox News.
The missile uses a local liquid-fuel engine which is built into the fuel tank to reduce size and increase concealment. It is launched from mobile platforms and reportedly can be readied within 15 minutes.
Its three-stage operation includes flight, in-flight mid-course maneuvering by rear engines and a final atmospheric re-entry guided by secondary engines.
Further, Iran claims it maintains speeds exceeding Mach 8 (approximately 10,000 km/hour) during the terminal phase, making interception by systems like Patriot or David's Sling exceedingly difficult.
Physically, the missile is approximately 13 meters long, 1.5 to 2 meters in diameter, and weighs between 19,000 and 26,000 kilograms at launch.
While Iran describes it as having 'multiple warheads', it is widely reported that this refers to submunitions or Multiple Re-entry Vehicle (MRV) payload rather than true MIRV (Multiple Independently targetable Re-entry Vehicle) technology.
Cluster munitions vs MIRV vs MRV
On Thursday, Israeli officials in an email to news agency Reuters claimed that one missile fired by Iran carried a cluster bomb warhead, scattering dozens of unexploded bomblets over a civilian area near central Israel.
Cluster munitions are designed to increase area damage by dispersing many small submunitions or 'bomblets' over a wide radius. However, they are inaccurate and notorious for high 'dud rates' (failure to function as intended), between 10 percent and 40 percent, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, posing long-term risks to civilians.
On the other hand, the MIRV warhead system is far more sophisticated. MIRV-equipped missiles carry several independently guided re-entry vehicles, each capable of striking a different target with high precision. Once the missile reaches space, an internal 'bus' manoeuvres to release each warhead on a separate trajectory.
So far, despite wide claims, no Iranian missile has been confirmed to have MIRV capability, the closest Iran has demonstrated is MRV (Multiple Re-entry Vehicle) systems, which release multiple warheads aimed in the same general area but without individual target guidance.
Iran's broader ballistic missile inventory
According to a report by UK-based think tank Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), Iran has drawn from a broad range of its ballistic missile arsenal in the ongoing conflict, combining both older and newer platforms. Among the systems reportedly used are short-range solid-fuel missiles such as the Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar, capable of striking targets up to 700 kilometres away with high accuracy and rapid launch times.
The paper also points to the deployment of Raad-500 and Dezful missiles, part of Iran's newer generation of precision-guided solid-fuel systems. The Raad-500 is among the newer-generation solid-fuel missiles. It builds on the design of the Fateh-110 but uses carbon composite materials to reduce structural weight and radar signature. This design improvement also extends its range to approximately 500 kilometers. The Raad-500 is equipped with a manoeuvrable re-entry vehicle (MaRV), which enhances its ability to evade interception in the terminal phase.
The Dezful missile, unveiled in 2019, is also an extended-range derivative of the Zolfaghar. It reportedly has a range of up to 1,000 kilometers and is road-mobile, allowing for flexible launch options. Dezful is reported to carry a 600–700 kg warhead and uses solid propellant for quicker launch times and better battlefield survivability.
Short-range systems, such as the Zolfaghar and Fateh-110, have also been reportedly employed in the on-going conflict. These solid-fuel missiles are known for their relatively high accuracy and rapid deployment capability, with ranges of approximately 300 to 700 kilometers.
Among medium-range platforms, the Shahab-3, a liquid-fuel missile with an estimated range of 1,300 kilometers, has long been a cornerstone of Iran's arsenal. Its more advanced variant, the Ghadr-110, extends the range up to 2,000 kilometers and includes improvements in mobility and targeting.
The Sejjil missile, by contrast, is a two-stage, solid-fuel MRBM with a similar range of up to 2,000 kilometers with a reduced vulnerability to pre-emptive strikes due to its fuel type and mobile launch capabilities.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: Iran has fewer options & more risks than before. Its choices will affect all of Middle East
