Iran unveiled its latest ballistic missile on Wednesday, a day after it resumed indirect talks with the U.S. to salvage the 2015 international nuclear deal that former President Trump repudiated in 2018.
The Kheybar Shekan missile has an estimated range of about 870 miles with “pinpoint accuracy,” according to an account in the state-controlled Iranian press. Critics of the nuclear deal negotiated under President Obama have long complained that Iran’s conventional and ballistic missile inventory are not limited by the agreement.
Iran, which has the largest ballistic missile inventory in the Middle East, boasts that it can strike Israel and U.S. bases in the region with its arsenal. State TV reported that the new missile was built by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“It has high accuracy and is propelled by solid fuel and is capable of penetrating missile shields,” Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported.
Benham Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a critic of the 2015 deal, said Iran is continuing to advance its ballistic missile inventory.
“The Kheybar Shekan appears to be an upgrade of the Fateh class of solid-propellant systems, both in reported range and accuracy,” Mr. Ben Taleblu said. “Iran’s continued investment in solid-propellant systems is proof that the bar for the use of these weapons is dropping.”
Tehran says its missile program is a deterrent against the U.S, Israel and other adversaries. It has rejected demands from the West to halt the work.
“Iran will continue advancing its ballistic missile program,” Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s military chief of staff, said during a ceremony at the site where the new missile will be based.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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