Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh announced on June 11 that the country had successfully tested a new missile armed with a warhead weighing two tons.
Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting, Nasirzadeh said, “We have made very good progress in defense affairs. Our operational forces are fully equipped.”
“Our most recent achievement came last week when we successfully tested a missile carrying a two-ton warhead, with excellent results,” the minister added, without providing any additional details about the new missile.
Iran already produces the Khorramshahr, a ballistic missile armed with a warhead weighing 1,8 tons and a range up to 2,000 kilometers. The new missile may be a derivative of the Khorramshahr with a shorter range to compensate for the additional weight of the warhead.
The announcement came amid mounting tension between Iran and Israel. Just last week, Tehran said that it had obtained a trove of “strategic and sensitive” Israeli intelligence, including files related to the country’s nuclear facilities and defense plans.
Iran’s top security body warned later on June 9 that the military would immediately target Israel’s “secret nuclear facilities” if the Islamic Republic comes under military attack.
According to the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), months of intelligence gathering had enabled Iran’s armed forces to identify high-value Israeli targets for potential retaliatory strikes, should Israel initiate military action against Iranian interests.
“This forms part of a broader strategic initiative aimed at countering disinformation by hostile actors and reinforcing Iran’s deterrent capabilities,” the SNSC said.
Tehran’s access to Israeli intelligence would allow it to swiftly target “concealed nuclear sites” in the event of an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear infrastructure, the council said, adding that the information also supports proportionate retaliation against attacks on Iran’s economic or military assets.
Israel developed its nuclear program in the 1950s and is thought to have tested a nuclear device in the 1960s. It is estimated to have a stockpile of around 90-200 active warheads with a nuclear triad of delivery options: air, sea, and ground-based missiles.
Just like Iran, some of Israel’s key nuclear facilities are located underground. This explains why the Islamic Republic is now developing missiles with heavy warheads.
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