The new Kheibar missile is the latest version of Iran’s longest-range Khorramshahr missile.
Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani said the missile unveiling was part of an effort to “provide full support to our friends and countries on their way to confront the dominant system”.
The state-run IRNA news agency said the Kaiba missile was a “liquid-fueled missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers and a warhead of 1,500 kilograms”.
The name Khaybar is derived from the town of Khaybar in present-day Saudi Arabia, which is famous for a decisive battle in the seventh century when the armies of the Prophet Muhammad defeated thousands of Jewish residents.
According to state media, the highly maneuverable tactical missile can reach speeds “up to Mach 16 outside the atmosphere and Mach 8 inside the atmosphere”.
Iran’s unveiling of the new ballistic missile comes as tensions rise in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, just 10 days after the fragile Gaza ceasefire. The deal ends five days of cross-border clashes between Israel and the Islamic Jihad, an Iran-backed Palestinian militant group.
© 2023 AFP