SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) used the Kheibar ballistic missile during its overnight attacks on Israel on Saturday. The Kheibar missile is one of the most potent missiles in Iran’s arsenal.
US forces intercepted a missile, believed to be Kheibar, while it was en route to Israel in the sky of Erbil province’s Rawanduz district in the Kurdistan Region. The remnants of the missile fell onto a farmland in the district’s Akoyan village. Remnants of similar missiles have also fallen across other areas of the province.
If detonated, the missile is capable of causing significant damage up to 30 meters deep in the targeted area.
Unveiled in May 2023, the medium-range ballistic missile belongs to the fourth generation of the Khorramshahr missile family, manufactured by the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The missile is 13 meters long and has the capability to carry several 1.5-tonne warheads, each measuring 4 meters in length.
According to the Iranian Defense Ministry, the Kheibar missile boasts high speed and is deemed impervious to any defense system. Additionally, it is classified as a long-range weapon, capable of striking targets up to 2,000 kilometers away and penetrating up to 30 meters into the ground.
The missile was utilized in Iran’s overnight attacks on Israel, prompting contrasting statements from both nations regarding the outcome of the assault. The IRGC asserts that the strike successfully hit its targets, causing damage to Israeli military facilities.
However, Israel contends that it managed to intercept 99 percent of the 300 Iranian missiles and drones launched in the attacks.
