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Iran has nine missiles capable of hitting Israel in its arsenal, an infographic released by a semi-official Iranian news agency on Sunday claimed, amid Iran's repeated vow to retaliate for an alleged Israeli strike in Syria that killed several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officers, including two generals.
The United States (US) believes that a major Iranian attack on Israel is imminent, said a report published on Wednesday. Citing sources familiar with Israeli and US intelligence assessments, Bloomberg reported that Iran could launch strikes using high-precision drones and missiles targeting Israeli government and military sites.
The Iran-made missiles capable of reaching Israel can strike targets ranging from 1,400 kilometres (km) to 2,500 km, revealed the ISNA news agency.
1) Sejjil
The first of these missiles is the Sejjil, which has a declared range of 2,000-2,500 km.
The Sejjil is a solid-propellant, medium-range ballistic missile, which can strike targets at speeds up to Mach 12-14. It can deliver a payload of about 700 kg to a target 2,000 km away.
2) Khorramshahr 4 (Khaibar)
This is followed by the Khorramshahr 4, also known as the Khaibar. While the Khaibar has a maximum declared range of 2,000 km, falling a bit shy of the Sejjil, it can clock speeds of up to Mach 16 outside of the atmosphere and Mach 8 within it.
Making up the fourth generation of the Khorramshahr missile family, the Khaibar is a medium-range ballistic missile that can carry a 1,500 kg warhead. This family of missiles has been named after the Iranian city of Khorramshahr, which saw intense fighting during the Iraq-Iran War in the 1980s.
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3) Emad
Like the Khaibar, the Emad missile also has a range of 2,000 km, but it travels at relatively lower speeds of up to Mach 7.2.
However, the Emad, which has a payload capacity of 750 kg, is Iran's first precision-guided, long-range, surface-to-surface ballistic missile. It stands out for being armed with a maneuverable reentry vehicle, or MaRV, and it can strike with an accuracy of within 500 metres of the designated target. It is derived from North Korea's Nodong missile.
4) Shahab 3
The Shahab 3 has a maximum declared range of 2,000 km and a speed of Mach 7. A medium-range, liquid-fueled ballistic missile, the Shahab-3 is based on the North Korean Nodong-1. The road-mobile missile has a range of only 1,000 km when carrying a 1,200-kg payload. It can only strike targets at its maximum range of 2,000 km with a lighter payload.
Operated by the IRGC instead of Iran's conventional army, the missile is primarily meant to strike large, soft targets like cities. However, Teharn has reportedly used Chinese guidance technology on the missile's later variants to improve its accuracy.
5) Qadr-110
The Qadr missile has a range of up to 1,950 km and can strike targets at a speed of Mach 9.
The Qadr-110, also known as the Ghadr-110, is a medium-range ballistic missile, which is an improved version of the Shahab-3A. It is reported to have a hybrid design, with a liquid-fuel first stage and solid-fuel second stage. With three variants, the Qadr series can carry warheads weighing from 650 kg to 1,000 kg.
6) Paveh
The Paveh missile has a range of 1,650 km and a speed of 600-900 km per hour (kmph). It is a new long-range cruise missile.
7) Khaibarshekan
The Khaibarshekan missile has a range of 1,450 km and can strike targets at a speed of over 5,000 kmph, or Mach 4.
The Khaibarshekan, or Kheibar Shekan, is a medium-range ballistic missile operated by the IRGC. Falling under the third generation of IRGC's missiles and revealed in 2022, it is a solid-fuel missile. Its high maneuverability during the terminal phase, compared to other missiles in Iran's arsenal, makes it a threat despite the presence of a ballistic missile shield.
8) Fattah 2
The Fattah-2 hypersonic cruise missile has a range of over 1,400 km and can cruise at a speed of Mach 5.
According to Janes, a global open-source intelligence company, the Fattah-2 consists of a ballistic missile motor and a re-entry vehicle (RV) that resembles Boeing's X-51 Waverider experimental hypersonic cruise missile, but without the air intake needed for a scramjet engine.
Tasnim News Agency, a semi-official news agency in Iran, has previously reported that the RV's engine uses hydrazine fuel. This engine should enable the Fattah-2 RV to accelerate outside the atmosphere. But, Tasnim also reported that the RV can only manoeuvre when inside the atmosphere by using its aerodynamic control surfaces. The Fattah-2 is still in development and has been designed as a strategic weapon, which will have the ability to hit targets with high precision while evading detection.
9) Haj Qassem
The Haj Qassem missile has a range of 1,400 km. Reports vary on its speed, which could range from Mach 5 to Mach 12. The Haj Qasem is a medium-range ballistic missile that can carry a payload of 500 kg. Unveiled in August 2020, it is named after Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by the US in January 2020. It is a new generation of the Fateh-110 missile with the reported capability of defeating missile defence systems because it can maneuver and hit targets without being detected.
Israel-Iran tensions rise
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Israel is currently on high alert for a potential direct attack from Iran, which could target the southern or northern regions within the next 24 to 48 hours.
The heightened tensions follow Tehran's accusation against Israel regarding an airstrike on a diplomatic building in Damascus, Syria, on April 2.
This incident resulted in the death of top Iranian military officials, including a senior member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force.
However, it was noted by an individual briefed by Iranian leadership that although attack plans are being discussed, a final decision has not yet been reached, the WSJ report added.
The attack in Damascus resulted in the death of General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a crucial figure in Iranian paramilitary operations in Syria and Lebanon.
