Iran’s Defense Ministry recently unveiled a brand-new ballistic missile named Kheibar. This missile boasts an impressive range of 2,000 kilometers and possesses the capacity to transport warheads weighing more than one ton.
Iran’s defense ministry on Thursday unveiled a new ballistic missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) and a capacity to carry warheads weighing over a tonne.
The Kheibar missile- the latest version of the Khorramshahr, Iran’s longest-range missile to date—was unveiled alongside a replica of the Al-Aqsa mosque in east Jerusalem in a live broadcast on state television.
Iran’s Defence Minister Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani said the missile was unveiled to “provide comprehensive support to our friends and countries that are on the path of fighting against the domination system.”
State news agency IRNA said the Kheibar is “a liquid fuel missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers and a 1,500 kilogram warhead”.
Its name references the ancient town of Khaybar —located in modern-day Saudi Arabia—known for a decisive seventh-century battle in which the army of Prophet Mohammed defeated its thousands of Jewish residents.
The unveiling comes amid heightened tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and just over ten days into a fragile Gaza ceasefire that ended five days of cross-border conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad.
Miroslava Salazar with AFP
