The Kheibar ballistic missile is an extension of the Khorramshahr – Iran’s longest range missile – and was unveiled on state television by Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani during a ceremony commemorating the 41st anniversary of Iran recapturing Khorramshahr from Iraq during the war in the 1980s.
Its “outstanding features include quick preparation and launch time, which makes the missile a tactical weapon in addition to a strategic one,” state media IRNA reported. “It is a liquid fuel missile with a range of 2000 km and a 1500 kg warhead.”
“We are taking steps to equip the armed forces in various areas of missiles, drones, air defense, and so on, and the unveilings will definitely continue in the future,” Ashtiani said during the unveiling.
The missile’s name is a reference to Khaybar, a town in modern-day Saudi Arabia, which was the site of a battle in 628 CE between Muslims and Jews, where the Muslims led by Prophet Mohammed marched on Khaybar and forced the Jews in the area to evacuate.
In April of last year, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unveiled a tactical missile with a range long enough to target Israeli cities, in a strong message to Iran’s bitter foe on Quds Day.
Tehran has previously not shied away from using its arsenal of ballistic missiles and suicide drones against different actors in the region.
In late November, Iran targeted the bases of Kurdish dissident groups in the Kurdistan Region with a barrage of ballistic missiles and suicide drones.
Two months prior, the IRGC launched around 73 ballistic missiles and dozens of suicide drones towards the bases of the opposition parties. At least 16 people were killed and 58 injured in the Iranian bombardment.
In March last year, Iran attacked Erbil with twelve ballistic missiles, striking the residence of a well-known Kurdish businessman. The IRGC claimed responsibility for targeting “the strategic center of the Zionist conspiracy and evil by point-to-point missile.”
Kurdish authorities vehemently rejected this accusation. A fact-finding committee set up by the Iraqi parliament to investigate the claims found no evidence of spying activities in the area attacked.
