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Iran says it has successfully test-launched ballistic missile

State TV broadcast a few seconds of footage of the launch of an upgraded version of the Khoramshahr 4 ballistic missile which it says has a range of 2,000km and is able to carry a 1,500kg warhead

Published: Thu 25 May 2023, 12:59 PM

Updated: Thu 25 May 2023, 1:00 PM

  • By
  • Reuters

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A new surface-to-surface 4th generation Khorramshahr ballistic missile called Khaibar with a range of 2,000km is launched at an undisclosed location in Iran, in this picture obtained on May 25, 2023. Photo: Reuters

A new surface-to-surface 4th generation Khorramshahr ballistic missile called Khaibar with a range of 2,000km is launched at an undisclosed location in Iran, in this picture obtained on May 25, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Iran successfully test-launched a ballistic missile with a potential 2,000km range on Thursday, state media said, two days after the chief of Israel's armed forces raised the prospect of "action" against Tehran over its nuclear programme.

Iran, which has one of the biggest missile programmes in the Middle East, says its weapons are capable of reaching the bases of Israel and the United States in the region.

Despite US and European opposition, the Islamic Republic has said it will further develop its "defensive" missile programme.

"Our message to Iran's enemies is that we will defend the country and its achievements. Our message to our friends is that we want to help regional stability," Iranian Defence Minister Mohammadreza Ashtiani said.

State TV broadcast a few seconds of footage of what it said was the launch of an upgraded version of Iran's Khoramshahr 4 ballistic missile with a range of 2,000km and able to carry a 1,500kg warhead.

The state news agency Irna said the liquid-fuel missile had been named the 'Kheibar'. "The domestically-build Kheibar missile's outstanding features include quick preparation and launch time, which makes it a tactical weapon in addition to a strategic one," it said.

Israel, which the Islamic Republic does not recognise, sees Iran as an existential threat. Iran says its ballistic missiles are an important deterrent and retaliatory force against the United States, Israel and other potential regional adversaries.

Israeli officials could not immediately be reached for comment about Iran's missile launch.

On Tuesday, the top Israeli general mooted possible military action against Iran as efforts by six world powers to revive Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal have stalled since last September, amid growing Western fears about Tehran's accelerating nuclear advances.

The deal, which Washington ditched in 2018, imposed curbs on Iran's nuclear activities that extended the time Tehran would need to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb, if it chose to do so. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.



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