Iran’s missile puts Israel, U.S. bases within range

The missile has ‘high accuracy’

In this photo released Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022, by Sepahnews of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, surface-to-surface "Khaibar-buster" missile is displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran.

Iran unveiled a new missile on Wednesday with a reported range that would allow it to reach both U.S. bases in the region as well as targets inside its archfoe Israel.

State TV reported that the missile uses solid fuel and has a range of 1,450 kilometers (900 miles). It is called the Khaibar-buster, a reference to a Jewish castle overrun by Muslim warriors in the early days of Islam.

The report said the missile has high accuracy, is manufactured completely domestically, and can defeat missile shield systems.

 

Israel’s closest point to Iran is some 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away.

The report comes as negotiations continue in Vienna to revive Tehran’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers. Iran, which has long said it does not seek nuclear weapons, insists its missile program is only a deterrent.