Iran reveals its new ballistic missiles as tensions escalate with the West
Iran has unveiled what it calls the latest iteration of its liquid-fueled Khorramshahr ballistic missile amid wider tensions with the West over its nuclear program. Authorities showed off the Khorramshahr-4 to journalists at an event in the capital of Tehran, with the missile on a truck-mounted launcher. Defence Minister Gen. Mohammad Reza Ashtiani said the missile could be prepared for launch in a short period.
Iranian officials described the missile as having a 1,240-mile (2,000 kilometre) range with a 1,500-kilogram warhead. They also released undated video footage purportedly showing a successful launch of the missile.
The Khorramshahr has the heaviest payload of Iran’s ballistic missile fleet, which analysts say may be designed to keep the weapon under a 1,240-mile range limit imposed by the country’s supreme leader. That puts most of the Mideast in range, but falls short of Western Europe.
“One of the prominent characteristics of this missile is its ability to evade radar detection and penetrate enemy air defence systems, thanks to its low radar signature,” the general told journalists.
“This missile has the capability to utilise various warheads for different missions.”
The Khorramshahr-4 is named after an Iranian city that was the scene of heavy fighting during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.
Iraq seized the city in the oil-rich southwestern province of Khuzestan at the start of the war, but Iran retook it over a year later.
During the event, loudspeakers blared the “Symphony of the Epic of Khorramshahr,” an orchestral composition marking Iranian soldiers ending the Iraqi siege of the city during the war.
Tehran created its ballistic missile program after suffering through Iraqi Scud missile attacks in the conflict.
In addition, it acted as a hedge against its Western-armed neighbours as embargoes have kept it from accessing modern attack aircraft.
