Iran unveiled a new missile on Wednesday with a reported range that would allow it to reach both US bases in the region as well as targets inside its archfoe Israel. State TV reported that the missile uses solid fuel and has a range of 1,450 kilometers (900 miles).
It is called the Khaibar-buster, a reference to a Jewish castle overrun by Muslim warriors in the early days of Islam. The report said the missile has high accuracy, is manufactured completely domestically, and can defeat missile shield systems. The information has not been independently verified.
“This long-range missile is domestically manufactured by the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) … It has high accuracy and is propelled by solid fuel and is capable of penetrating missile shields,” Iranian state media reported. Tehran regards its missile program as an important deterrent against the United States, Israel, and other adversaries.
It has rejected Western demands to halt its ballistic missile work. “Iran will continue advancing its ballistic missile program,” Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri told a ceremony at an IRGC base where the new missile was displayed, Iranian media reported.