The United States deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group and B-52 bombers into the Persian Gulf after intelligence reports showed Iran moving short-range ballistic missiles by boats into the area. The deployment came in response to Iranian preparations “to possibly attack U.S. forces in the region,” according to USCENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Bill Urban. It...
On February 24, Iran launched a cruise missile from one of its submarines during annual naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz. According to Iranian media, the missile was launched from a Ghadir-class Iranian navy submarine and hit a predetermined surface target during the drill. The unidentified cruise missile can also reportedly be fired from...
On February 5, Iran attempted to launch a satellite from the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Semnan province, ultimately failing to put it into orbit, according to new satellite imagery. The imagery showed a rocket on the launch pad of the space center on February 5, but imagery taken February 6 showed the launch pad...
On January 31, Iran displayed its Qased 3 (“Messenger”) air-launched cruise missile at a military exhibition celebrating the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. While details of the missile’s capabilities have yet to be disclosed, Iranian news agencies have reported that the missile will be deployed on Iran’s aging F-4 jets, supplied by the United...
On December 4, Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, commander of the Iranian Air Force, announced the country’s plans to increase the range of its air-to-air missiles and ammunition. In his interview with Iran’s Fars News Agency, General Nasirzadeh specified that Iran is “after Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) missiles and ammunition” and that it intends to develop long-range, smart...
On December 1, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released a press statement detailing a medium-range ballistic missile test launch conducted by Iran. According to the statement, the missile is “capable of carrying multiple warheads” and has a range that allows it to strike targets in Europe. It is unclear whether the Secretary’s comments reference the...
On November 6, the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) fired new surface-to-air missiles from the indigenously-developed Mersad missile system on the second day of large-scale joint military exercises. The Mersad system is normally paired with the Shalamcheh surface-to-air missile, but the new missiles and carrier vehicle enhance Mersad’s mobility and range....
On November 5, the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) fired three Sayyad-2 missiles from the indigenously-developed Talash missile system during large-scale joint military exercises in northern, central, and western Iran. The Talash system can reportedly intercept medium- to high-altitude targets within 150 km and is equipped with the Ofoq fire control...
On October 1, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps launched a total of six Zolfaghar and Qiam-1 missiles from its western Kermanshah region on ISIL locations in Syria’s Deir al-Zour province. Iranian state media reported that the strike killed a number of actors and planners of a September 22 terrorist attack on an Iranian military parade in...
On September 10, Iran announced that it had successfully conducted a ballistic missile intercept test of its Bavar-373 air defense system last year. The Bavar-373 is an indigenously produced version of the Russian S-300 air defense system. Iran’s Deputy Air Defense Commander General Mahmoud Ebrahiminejad stated, “It [the Bavar-373] is more reliable and stronger than...
