How Powerful Is Iran’s Ballistic Missile Arsenal?
Reuters/News Desk
Geneva: Iran is set to hold a new round of nuclear negotiations with the United States on Thursday in Geneva, with its ballistic missile programme remaining a major point of contention in the discussions.
What Are Ballistic Missiles?
Ballistic missiles are rocket-powered weapons that are guided during the initial phase of flight but then follow a free-fall trajectory toward their targets. They can carry conventional explosives or potentially biological, chemical, or nuclear warheads across short, medium, or long distances.
Western countries view Iran’s missile arsenal as both a conventional threat to regional stability in the Middle East and a potential delivery system for nuclear weapons if Tehran were ever to develop them. Iran, however, has consistently denied seeking atomic weapons.
Size & Range of Iran’s Arsenal
According to the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Iran possesses the largest stockpile of ballistic missiles in the Middle East.
Iranian officials have imposed a self-declared maximum range of 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles), which they say is sufficient for national defence, as it allows them to reach Israel.
Several missile facilities are located in and around Tehran, along with at least five known underground “missile cities” in provinces such as Kermanshah and Semnan, and near the Gulf region.
The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies reports that Iran’s long-range missile inventory includes:
- Sejil – 2,000 km
- Emad – 1,700 km
- Ghadr – 2,000 km
- Shahab-3 – 1,300 km
- Khorramshahr – 2,000 km
- Hoveyzeh – 1,350 km
In April 2025, Iran’s semi-official news agency ISNA published a graphic identifying nine missiles capable of reaching Israel. Among them were the Sejil, reportedly capable of speeds exceeding 17,000 km per hour with a 2,500 km range; the Kheibar, with a 2,000 km range; and the Haj Qasem, which can travel 1,400 km.
The Arms Control Association estimates that Iran’s missile arsenal also includes shorter-range systems such as the Shahab-1 (around 300 km) and Zolfaghar (700 km), as well as medium-range variants of the Shahab-3 (800–1,000 km). It notes that upgraded models of the Emad and Sejil missiles remain under development.
Recent Missile Use
Iran most recently used ballistic missiles during the 12-day conflict with Israel in June 2025, firing projectiles that killed dozens of people and caused significant structural damage.
The Institute for the Study of War and the AEI Critical Threats Project assessed that Israel likely destroyed roughly one-third of Iran’s missile launchers during the fighting. Iranian officials have claimed that the damage has since been repaired.
In response to US involvement in the conflict, Iran launched missiles at the US Al Udeid air base in Qatar, giving prior warning that reportedly prevented casualties. A ceasefire was announced by Washington shortly afterward.
Earlier uses include missile strikes in January 2024, when Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they targeted Israeli intelligence facilities in Iraq’s Kurdistan region and Daesh positions in Syria.
In 2020, Iran fired missiles at US-led forces in Iraq following a US drone strike that killed Major General Qassem Soleimani.
Iran’s Ongoing Development
Iran maintains that its missile programme serves as a deterrent against the United States, Israel, and other regional adversaries.
A 2023 report by analyst Behnam Ben Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies stated that Iran continues to expand its underground missile infrastructure, including transport, launch, production, and storage facilities.
In 2020, Iran announced it had successfully launched a ballistic missile from an underground site for the first time.
The report also noted that years of reverse engineering have enabled Iran to modify airframes and incorporate lighter composite materials, potentially extending missile ranges.
In June 2023, Iran unveiled what it described as its first domestically produced hypersonic ballistic missile, according to the official IRNA news agency. Hypersonic missiles travel at least five times the speed of sound and follow complex flight paths, making them more difficult to intercept.
The Arms Control Association says Iran’s missile programme draws heavily from North Korean and Russian designs and has benefited from Chinese assistance.
In addition to ballistic missiles, Iran possesses cruise missiles such as the Kh-55, an air-launched system that is nuclear-capable and has a reported range of up to 3,000 kilometres.
