Iran’s Strikes Growing More Precise and Destructive: Western Media
TEHRAN -- The Wall Street Journal has described the Kheibar Shekan as the “workhorse of Tehran’s arsenal”—a cheap, mobile, accurate weapon with a range of at least 900 miles.
The solid-fuel, medium-range ballistic missile features a satellite-guidance system and is capable of carrying a maneuverable warhead designed to evade air defenses. Its solid-fuel design allows for rapid deployment and launch from mobile launchers, making it significantly harder to detect and destroy before firing compared to older liquid-fuel models.
The Kheibar Shekan uses a combination of flight paths, maneuvers and varying speeds to confuse US air defense systems. Some versions of the missile are equipped with a small engine in the warhead section during the terminal phase of flight, enabling course changes at speeds around 6,000 miles per hour—a feature that further complicates interception efforts.
American officials have confirmed that Iran has fired Kheibar Shekan missiles at U.S. bases since the terrorist war on the Islamic Republic resumed.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran has been using the missile in complex attacks, proving it “is getting more dangerous”. According to Joseph Votel, former commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), “Iran is learning and adapting its tactics and is looking for ways to bypass American defense systems”.
A critical factor in Iran’s strategy is the significant cost differential between its missiles and American interceptors. The production cost of each Kheibar Shekan missile is substantially lower than that of American and Israeli interceptors, which can cost between $2 million and $15 million per interceptor depending on the system.
This cost asymmetry makes Iran’s strategy economically sustainable for Tehran while being expensive for its adversaries.
The Guardian has reported that Iran’s recent attacks demonstrate “increased precision and destructive power,” while simultaneously exposing “potential weaknesses in U.S. air defense systems deployed in the region”.
Dan Sabbagh, the newspaper’s defense and security editor, emphasized that Iran’s enhanced capability results from a combination of technological advances in its missile program, use of satellite imagery, and military tactics inspired by Russia’s experience in the Ukraine war.