Iran still has weapons of destruction more powerful than the Haj Qassem ballistic missile

“In this escalation, Iran once again launched ballistic missiles at Israel, as they did in April and October 2024,” Tal Inbar, a senior researcher at the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance and an expert on Iran’s missile program, told The Jerusalem Post .

“These missiles were all manufactured by factories belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, based on North Korean designs. It is not yet clear exactly which type of missile hit Bat Yam in the new attack, but it is likely one of three: Emad, Kheibar Shekan or Haj Qasem,” the expert added.

3 types of missiles Iran uses

According to The Economic Times , Iranian state media said the country used the Haj Qassem guided ballistic missile, named after General Qasem Soleimani, in a series of attacks targeting Israel. General Soleimani was the commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, assassinated by the US in a drone strike in 2020.

Haj Qassem ballistic missile. Photo: Firstpost .

The Haj Qassem missile uses solid fuel, has a declared range of about 1,200 km and carries a 500 kg warhead, reaching a maximum speed of Mach 12 or 12 times the speed of sound. The Haj Qassem integrates a maneuverable warhead when re-entering the atmosphere (MaRV – Maneuverable Reentry Vehicle) and a modern guidance system, allowing it to penetrate dense air defenses.

In addition, Iran possesses Emad and Kheibar Shekan missiles.

Emad is a new missile, first appeared last year. The highlight of Emad is that the warhead is maneuverable, not flying in a fixed trajectory to avoid radar and interceptor missiles.

This missile uses liquid fuel, has a range of about 1,700 km and can carry a warhead weighing about 750 kg. However, the weakness is that liquid fuel needs to be loaded before launch, is susceptible to corrosion and takes time to prepare, although it has high performance.

Kheibar Shekan is a missile unveiled in 2022, named after the Battle of Khaybar in 629 AD. It is the first Iranian missile to use solid fuel, eliminating the complicated process of fueling before launch.

Ballistic missiles operate in three stages - launch, flight, and re-entry into the atmosphere to hit their target. Photo: Al Jazeera .

With a range of about 1,500 km and a 500 kg warhead, this missile also has the ability to maneuver when re-entering the atmosphere to avoid interception systems such as Israel's David's Sling or the US Patriot.

Iran still holds the "trump card"?

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it used a new method to penetrate Israel's air defenses in a missile attack early on June 16, according to Reuters . The attack killed at least eight people.

According to the IRGC, the Iranian missiles were controlled in a way that caused Israeli interceptors to attack each other, disrupting Israel's air defense systems, including Iron Dome, David's Sling and Arrow. However, Iran did not provide further details on how this was done.

Drone footage shows damage in Bat Yam, Israel after a missile attack from Iran on June 15. Photo: Reuters .

“The interceptor systems provided to Israel by the US are still not able to provide absolute protection against ballistic missile attacks, although they are very modern. They intercept most of the threats, but cannot achieve a 100% success rate,” Inbar noted.

“There is one missile that Iran has not yet used in its attacks on Israel: the Khorramshahr,” Inbar revealed. This missile is based on the North Korean Hwasong-10 model, which is Iran’s heaviest and fastest missile today. It has a range of nearly 2,000 km, carries a warhead weighing up to 1,500 kg and reaches a maximum speed of about Mach 14.

While still within range of Israel’s air defense network, even one that gets through could cause serious damage. The Khorramshahr is also equipped with a guidance system that can adjust its trajectory outside the atmosphere, helping to counter electronic interference. It is highly accurate, has superior maneuverability, and a warhead that can withstand extreme temperatures.

Source: https://znews.vn/iran-van-con-vu-khi-huy-diet-manh-hon-ten-lua-dan-dao-haj-qassem-post1561406.html