The United States and Israel carried out strikes on Iran on Saturday, widening conflict in the Middle East. Iran responded by launching missiles towards Israel, according to the Israeli military, says Reuters.
Western governments have long viewed Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal as both a conventional military threat and a potential delivery system for nuclear weapons should Tehran acquire them. Iran denies seeking atomic arms and says its missile programme is defensive.
What are ballistic missiles?
Ballistic missiles are rocket-powered weapons guided during the initial phase of flight before following a largely unpowered, free-fall trajectory towards their target. They can carry conventional warheads and, in some cases, biological, chemical or nuclear payloads over varying distances.
Size and range of Iran’s arsenal
Iran possesses the largest stockpile of ballistic missiles in the Middle East, according to the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Iranian officials say the country has imposed a 2,000 kilometre (1,240 mile) range limit on its missiles, arguing that this is sufficient for national defence as it places Israel within reach.
Many missile facilities are located in and around Tehran. At least five underground “missile cities” have been identified in provinces including Kermanshah and Semnan, as well as in areas near the Gulf.
The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies lists several long-range systems capable of reaching Israel. These include the Sejil, with a range of about 2,000 km; the Emad, 1,700 km; the Ghadr, 2,000 km; the Shahab-3, 1,300 km; the Khorramshahr, 2,000 km; and the Hoveyzeh, 1,350 km.
Iranian media have highlighted additional systems. In April 2025, the semi-official ISNA news agency published a graphic featuring nine missiles it said could strike Israel, including the Sejil, described as capable of speeds above 17,000 km per hour and a range of 2,500 km; the Kheibar, with a 2,000 km range; and the Haj Qasem, 1,400 km.
The Arms Control Association says Iran’s arsenal also includes shorter-range missiles such as the Shahab-1, with an estimated range of 300 km, and the Zolfaghar, 700 km. It lists the Shahab-3 at 800 to 1,000 km and says variants of the Emad-1 and Sejil are under development with ranges up to 2,000 km and between 1,500 and 2,500 km respectively.
In addition to ballistic missiles, Iran operates cruise missiles. These include the Kh-55, an air-launched system with a range of up to 3,000 km and nuclear-capable design.
Operational use
Iran has used its missile forces in several regional confrontations. During a 12-day war with Israel in June 2025, Tehran fired ballistic missiles into Israeli territory, killing dozens of people and damaging buildings. The Institute for the Study of War and the AEI Critical Threats Project assessed that Israel likely destroyed around one-third of Iran’s missile launchers during that conflict. Iranian officials say the country has recovered from the losses.
In the same conflict, Iran launched missiles at the US Al Udeid air base in Qatar in response to Washington’s involvement in Israel’s air campaign. Tehran provided advance warning and no casualties were reported. A ceasefire was announced hours later.
In January 2024, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had used missiles to strike what they described as Israeli intelligence facilities in Iraq’s Kurdistan region and Islamic State targets in Syria. Tehran also reported missile strikes on two bases of a Baloch militant group in Pakistan.
Saudi Arabia and the United States have said Iran was behind a 2019 drone and missile attack on Saudi oil facilities, an allegation Tehran denies. In 2020, Iran launched missiles at US-led forces in Iraq in retaliation for a US drone strike that killed Major General Qassem Soleimani.
Strategy and development
Iran says its missile force serves as a deterrent against the United States, Israel and other regional adversaries. A 2023 report by Behnam Ben Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said Iran continues to expand underground depots, transport systems, production sites and storage centres. In 2020, Iran said it fired a ballistic missile from an underground site for the first time.
Iran has also worked to improve missile range and survivability through lighter composite materials and modified airframes, the report said.
In June 2023, Iranian officials unveiled what they described as the country’s first domestically developed hypersonic ballistic missile. Hypersonic systems travel at least five times the speed of sound on complex trajectories, making them more difficult to intercept.
The Arms Control Association says Iran’s programme is largely derived from North Korean and Russian designs and has also benefited from Chinese assistance.
