Iran’s military missile program is currently one of the largest in the Middle East, providing Iran with a large number of ballistic missiles of various ranges. This missile arsenal plays a central role in the country’s defense strategy as a means of deterring adversaries and projecting power in the region. At the same time, the international community is closely monitoring Iran’s missiles because of their potential connection to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, which have already led to sanctions and military intervention to control the relevant technologies.
This demonstration illustrates the evolution of Iran’s missile program from short-range tactical missiles to satellite carriers. The program was initiated by the need to defend itself during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, when Iran was suffering from Iraqi missile attacks but lacked modern air power to respond in kind. In 1984, Tehran secretly received the first 20 Soviet Scud-B missiles from Libya, and later established supplies and technological assistance from North Korea and China. Based on these technologies, Iran began producing short-range ballistic missiles in the 1990s: Shahab-1 (≈300 km) and Shahab-2 (≈500 km), which are localized versions of Scuds.
In the 2000s, the Iranians moved to developing medium-range liquid-fueled missiles, particularly the Shahab-3 (range ~1300 km, later increased to ~2000 km in modernized versions). At the same time, tests of two-stage solid-fuel missiles, such as the Sejjil-2 with a declared range of 2000-2400 km, began. In 2010, the modernized finless Qiam-1 (range ~800 km), a derivative of the Scud with an improved tail fin without the traditional Scud aerodynamic stabilizers, was presented, and in 2016, the solid-fuel Zolfaghar with a range of about 700 km. According to estimates, Iran currently has an arsenal of more than 3,000 ballistic missiles of various ranges.
Technical aspects of the missile program
Types of missiles and engines
Iran has developed a wide range of ballistic missiles – from short-range (tactical SRBMs, up to ~300 km) to medium-range missiles capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to ~2000 km. Ballistic missiles follow a steep trajectory: after launch, they rise to a considerable height and then fall to the target under the influence of gravity. As a result, such missiles can carry heavy warheads over long distances at high speed. In the Iranian arsenal, these weapons are designated as SRBM (Short-Range Ballistic Missile) and MRBM (Medium-Range Ballistic Missile). The former includes, for example, the Shahab-1 and Shahab-2 (modernized Scud), with a range of 300-500 km, as well as the improved Qiam-1 with a range of ~750 km. Another area is the Fateh-110 family, developed in the 2000s: these are single-stage solid-fuel missiles that, in the Fateh-110 and Fateh-313 versions, hit targets at 300 and 500 km, respectively. Later modifications of this type, such as the Zolfaghar, reached a range of about 700 km and gained more accurate guidance. The MRBM class (1,000-3,000 km) includes the liquid-propellant Shahab-3 and its derivatives Ghadr-1 and Emad, which cover distances of about 1,300-2,000 km. They are based on the North Korean No Dong (Hwaseong-7) missile.
Source: Wikipedia
1) The rocket leaves the pit/launcher by turning on the first stage engine (A); 2) After about a minute, the first stage separates, the second stage engine ignites (B), and the main fairing is jettisoned (E); 3) After another minute, the third stage engine (C) is activated and separates from the second stage. 4) Three minutes after launch, its thrust stops, and the post-boost stage separates from the rocket (D). 5) This block maneuvers, preparing to eject the warheads. 6) Then it separates them in space, along with decoys and reflectors; 7) Then the warheads and passive jammers enter the atmosphere at hypersonic speed. 8) The warheads are detonated over the targets.
The basis of any missile’s flight is its engine and propellant. The first generations of Iranian missiles were liquid-fueled, containing tanks with liquid fuel (usually kerosene) and an oxidizer that were mixed in the combustion chamber. Such engines provide high thrust, but require long pre-launch refueling and more complex maintenance. Examples include all missiles based on the Soviet Scud, including the Shahab-1/2, Qiam-1, and Shahab-3. Starting in the 2000s, Iran has been moving intensively toward solid propellants for its ballistic missiles. The solid propellant engine has a charge of already solidified powder propellant in the missile body, which significantly reduces the time required to prepare for launch – the missile can be stored and launched almost instantly, without hours of refueling before launch. Iranian missiles of the Fateh and Sejjil families are solid-fuel missiles. Although their initial thrust is somewhat lower than that of their liquid counterparts, such missiles are more mobile and safer in combat duty. In practice, Iran now combines both types of technologies: for example, the heavy two-stage Khorramshahr missile still uses liquid propellant (for maximum range and power), while many newer missiles have switched to solid propellant, turning into highly accurate “long-range projectiles”.
Range and launch platforms
As the diagram below shows, most of Iran’s missiles are aimed at regional targets. A range of about 300 km allows them to hit objects on the territory of neighbors (for example, US military bases in the Persian Gulf or troops in Iraq), and missiles with a range of 1000-1500 km make it possible to keep the entire territory of Israel and part of Europe in their sights.
The maximum officially declared range of Iranian ballistic missiles is about 2000 km. According to the Iranian military command, this upper threshold is adhered to voluntarily –Tehran is not currently developing its missiles beyond 2000 km, following the instructions of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Thus, the Iranian missile arsenal is primarily intended for regional deterrence, not for global warfare.
Iranian missiles are based on a variety of platforms, which ensures their survivability and mobility. The main method of deployment is mobile launchers on wheeled chassis (TELs), which allow for the covert movement of missiles and rapid launch. In addition to mobile ground-based installations, Iran has created an extensive network of fixed fortified bases. Some of the missiles are stored in underground mines and bunkers at great depths, in so-called “missile towns” dug into the mountains to protect them from air strikes. This combination of mobile and hidden launch platforms makes the Iranian missile system flexible and resilient to enemy attacks: even with limited resources, Tehran can hide a significant number of missiles and launch a surprise volley in response to aggression.
Regional balance of power and strategic deterrence
The development of missile capabilities has dramatically affected the balance of power in the Middle East. For Iran, ballistic missiles have become the main strategic deterrent: lacking a modern air force, Tehran has relied on long-range missile strikes to threaten important enemy targets and thus deter them from attacking. According to Pentagon estimates, Iran has already created the largest missile arsenal in the Middle East, with thousands of short- and medium-range missiles. Such forces are capable of reaching any point on the territory of Israel, American bases in the region, and most of the capitals of the Persian Gulf countries. Iran has used missiles as an asymmetric tool against technologically stronger rivals: despite its outdated air force, it can threaten their territories and infrastructure with retaliatory strikes.
This threat has forced Iran’s neighbors to strengthen missile defense, but it is extremely difficult to intercept modern high-speed missiles. As a result, Iran’s missile program has become a significant factor in the regional balance of power – a kind of “great equalizer” that compensates for its neighbors’ superiority in air power and precision weapons.
The role of missiles in conflicts and support for allies
Over the past decades, Iran has repeatedly demonstrated its readiness to use missiles in real conflicts and to supply them to its allies in the region. Iranian forces have directly used their missiles in combat: in 2017-2018, missile strikes were launched against the Islamic State’s positions in Syria; in January 2020, Iran’s ballistic missiles attacked a US air base, causing significant damage to the facility. At the same time, Tehran transferred missile technology and weapons to its allies. With Iran’s assistance, ballistic missile production plants (including Fateh-110 variants) were built in Syria, Lebanese Hezbollah received short-range Fateh-110 missiles (capable of hitting targets in Israel) from Iran in 2006, and Yemeni Houthi rebels were armed with ballistic missiles based on Iranian Scud and Qiam, which were repeatedly used to fire on Saudi Arabian cities. In 2024, it came to a direct clash with Israel: Iran fired several ballistic missiles at Israeli targets, to which the Israeli side responded with air strikes on Iranian missile bases. During this escalation, hundreds of missiles were fired before the parties ceased fire.
In 2025, Iranian missiles again became a hot weapon. The culmination was the first combat use of the new solid-fueled Kheibar Shekan, a multi-warhead missile with a range of ≈1450 km capable of bypassing Israeli missile defense. Immediately after these launches, Israel launched the largest strike in the entire campaign against facilities in Tehran and ballistic missile storage facilities in Kermanshah. The thirty-thousand bunker-buster attacks by the United States on the Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow nuclear complexes the day before further pushed Iran to daily “salvo responses”. At the same time, Yemeni Houthis for the first time officially stated that they coordinate their ballistic missile attacks on Israel directly with Tehran.
Thus, as of the end of June 2025, the Iranian missile arsenal not only remains a key tool for confrontation with Israel and the United States, but is increasingly integrated into the “regional ecosystem” of allies (Hezbollah, Houthis) and even global agreements, confirming Tehran’s role as a leading exporter of ballistic technologies.
Interrelation with Iran’s Space Program
Iran’s civilian space program is closely linked to its military missile program. Since 2009, the Iranian Space Agency (ISA) has launched several satellites using launch vehicles based on military ballistic missiles. The first Safir launch vehicle, which launched an Iranian satellite into orbit in 2009, used an engine from a Shahab-3 rocket. The more powerful Simorgh carrier is equipped with a cluster of four such engines in the first stage. As of December 2024, it has had three successful and three unsuccessful orbital launches, which confirms its experimental status.
The technologies required for space launches and intercontinental ballistic missiles are largely the same. Western analysts warn that the development of Iranian launch vehicles could shorten the path to Iran’s intercontinental missile. According to a 2025 U.S. intelligence estimate, if Tehran decides to use these developments for military purposes, it could develop an effective ICBM by about 2035. Iranian authorities insist that the space program is purely peaceful. However, the structure of the industry’s management shows close ties to the military: space launches are coordinated with the participation of the Ministry of Defense, and many projects are managed by specialists associated with the IRGC’s missile industry. Moreover, in April 2020, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps itself launched its military satellite, clearly demonstrating the unity of military and space efforts. Thus, the Iranian space program has a dual purpose: each success of the program simultaneously strengthens the country’s combat missile potential.
Iran’s military missile program has evolved from a few Scuds purchased abroad to its high-tech missile arsenal. Technically, Iran has mastered both liquid and solid fuel technologies, creating ballistic missile systems with a range of action throughout the Middle East. Geopolitically, this program has become a key factor in Iran’s defense doctrine – a means of strategic deterrence of stronger rivals and projection of power. At the same time, the achievements of Iranian rocket scientists have given impetus to the country’s space ambitions, but have also raised new suspicions about the true purpose of these “peaceful” projects. Thus, Iran’s military missile program has become a vivid example of how closely defense technologies, strategic deterrence policy, and space exploration are intertwined in the modern world.
