Iran launches new ballistic missile after top Israeli general's statement

Iranian state television has shown footage of an upgraded version of Iran's fourth-generation Khoramshahr surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 2,000 km that can carry a 1,500 kg warhead, according to Reuters.

The IRNA news agency reported that the new missile was called Kheibar, a reference to a Jewish castle captured by Muslim militants in the early stages of Islam.

"Our message to Iran's enemies is that we will defend the country and its achievements. Our message to our friends is that we want to help stabilize the region," Iranian Defense Minister Mohammadreza Ashtiani stressed.

A ballistic missile known as Kheibar is launched at a site in Iran, in this photo taken on May 25.

Iran, which has one of the largest missile programs in the Middle East, claims its weapons are capable of reaching Israeli and US bases in the region.

Despite objections from the US and European countries, Iran has said it will continue to develop its "defensive" missile program. Iran says its ballistic missiles are an important deterrent and retaliatory force against the US, Israel and other potential regional adversaries.

Israeli Armed Forces Chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi raised the prospect of "action" against Iran on May 23 as six-nation efforts to revive Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal have stalled since September 2022, amid growing Western concerns about Tehran's accelerating nuclear advances, according to Reuters.

The nuclear deal imposed restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities, extending the time it would take Tehran to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb, if it chose to do so. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.

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