Iran’s Defense Ministry unveiled a new ballistic missile on Thursday with a range of 2,000 kilometers and the ability to carry warheads of more than one ton. This new missile, called Kheibar, is the latest version of the Khorramshahr, which was previously Iran’s longest-range missile. During the presentation on state television, a replica of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, located in the Palestinian area of Jerusalem, was shown.
According to the official Irna agency, the Kheibar is a liquid-fueled missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers and a warhead of 1,500 kilograms. Its name refers to the ancient city of Khaybar, located in present-day Saudi Arabia and known for an important battle in the 7th century in which the army of the Prophet Mohammed defeated the city’s thousands of Jewish inhabitants.
According to Iranian state media, the speed of the tactical missile reaches up to Mach 16 outside the atmosphere and Mach 8 in the atmosphere, which means 16 and 8 times the speed of sound, respectively.
This announcement comes at a time of tension in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and approximately ten days after a ceasefire ended five days of clashes between Israel and Islamic Jihad, a radical Islamist armed group backed by Iran, in the Gaza Strip.