Iran’s Revolutionary Guards spokesman said restrictions on ballistic missile ranges had been lifted, referring to a directive from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Tehran had long described a voluntary limit of about 2,000 kilometres. The spokesman did not identify a newly developed or deployed longer-range weapon, while another adviser repeated the existing range figure.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, a branch of the country’s armed forces, announced that restrictions on missile ranges had been lifted. Spokesman Hossein Mohebbi made the statement on November 7 at a news conference marking the force’s Aerospace Week in Tehran, Iran’s capital.[1], [2]
Iran has long described a voluntary ballistic missile range limit of about 2,000 kilometres. Mohebbi referred to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s instruction to respond to threats without geographical limits. He did not say whether longer-range missiles had been developed or deployed, arguing that capabilities should be demonstrated in practice. Ali Bilali, an adviser to the Guards’ Aerospace Force commander, separately put the missiles’ range at about 2,000 kilometres that day.[1]
In March, American and British officials said two ballistic missiles had been fired towards Diego Garcia, a joint American-British base in the Indian Ocean about 4,000 kilometres from Iran. British Defence Secretary John Healey said one fell short and the other was intercepted. Iran denied responsibility. Mohebbi also claimed that missile and drone manufacturing had moved underground during the wars with Israel and the United States.[1]
