Iran unveiled a new missile “Khyber Shikan” missile with a range of 1,450 kilometers on Wednesday, news agency Tasnim revealed.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) revealed the ‘Khaybershekan’ which means ‘Khyber buster.’ The name of the missile refers to an ancient Jewish castle called Khaybar in the Arabian Peninsula’s Hijaz region that was overrun by Muslim warriors under Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century.
Iran claims that the long-range ballistic missile has “pinpoint accuracy,” and was revealed during an official visit to a missile base of the IRGC Aerospace Force.
It is said to be propelled by solid fuel and reportedly has the capabilities to penetrate “missile shields with high maneuverability during the landing stage,”
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The homegrown missile was revealed by Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri and the IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh.
It marks the third iteration of the country’s long-range missile and was reportedly built by the IRGC Aerospace Force.
The video showed the missiles in a storage tunnel, suggesting they are already operational. Their short size means they are easily transportable, and could potentially be supplied to Iran’s proxy allies, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi militia in Yemen, and various militias in Iraq.
Meanwhile, delegates at the talks in Vienna say they have made limited progress since they resumed in November. Iran has rejected the Western demand to include its Ballistic Missile program in negotiating agenda.
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While the recent unveiling of the missile program sends tremors throughout the region. The range of missiles dictates that it can reach Iran’s arch-enemy Israel and mainly all US bases in the region.
The increased Iranian Ballistic Missile program has worried regional countries, especially Iran’s counterweight Saudi Arabia which has, again and again, called on the international community to strictly notice the Iranian capabilities.
Meanwhile, there are also some sources claiming that KSA has been undergoing its own missile program covertly to counter Iran and also Houthis on its border with Yemen.
Similarly, Israel has been already focusing on damaging Iran’s nuclear program as recently, the Israeli PM reiterated Israeli resolve to fight Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
