Iran Unveils New Long Range Ballistic Missile: Dubbed Castle Destroyer

Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Air Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh. (Wikimedia Commons/Tasnim News Agency/Mahmood Hossein)

JAKARTA - Iran's elite force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a new long-range ballistic missile with pinpoint accuracy, dubbed 'Kheibarshekan' (castle destroyer).

The launch of this domestically made missile was carried out directly by the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri and the Commander of the IRGC Air Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, while visiting the missile base of the IRGC Air Force on Wednesday.

Citing the Tasnim News Agency on Wednesday 9 February, Kheibarshekan missiles can hit targets within 1,450 kilometers with pinpoint accuracy. This strategic weapon is a third-generation long-range missile developed by the IRGC with great capabilities.

The day before, Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh highlighted the IRGC's outstanding achievements in the missile industry. He said a new "strategic missile" would be launched in the near future.

Surprisingly, Hajizadeh said the missile had been in production for a long time and was ready for combat operations.

To note, Iranian officials have repeatedly underlined that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile force, which is entirely intended for defense, and that Iran's defense capabilities will never be the subject of negotiations.

In 2018, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for efforts to maintain and enhance Iran's defense capabilities, retaliating against enemies for taking issue with the country's missile program.

"Without the slightest hesitation, the state must move to acquire whatever it takes for defense, even if the whole world is against it," Khamenei said at the time.