TEHRAN: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Saturday that restrictions on the maximum operational range of the country’s ballistic missiles have been officially lifted, opening the possibility of targeting adversarial assets at greater distances if U.S. or Israeli military strikes resume.
For years, Tehran maintained a self-imposed 2,000-kilometre (approximately 1,200-mile) range ceiling on its ballistic missile inventory—a distance sufficient to reach Israel and key U.S. military installations across the broader Middle East.
Citing a recent directive from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei instructing armed forces to respond to security threats with “no geographical limits,” IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi stated, “That restriction has been lifted for us.”
While Mohebbi refrained from confirming whether Iran has formally developed or operationally deployed weapon systems exceeding the previously declared range limits, he emphasized that the nation’s military capabilities would be demonstrated in practice rather than through public announcements.
Addressing reporters, Ali Bilali, an adviser to the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, reiterated that current operational missiles maintain a 2,000-kilometre range with high precision-strike capabilities.
Questions regarding Tehran’s long-range strike potential gained significant traction during the conflict in March, when U.S. and British defense officials reported that two ballistic missiles were launched toward Diego Garcia, a strategic joint Anglo-American military facility in the Indian Ocean situated nearly 4,000 kilometres from Iranian soil. British Defence Secretary John Healey noted that one missile fell short while the other was intercepted before reaching the target, though Iran consistently denied responsibility for the strike attempt.
Although Iran’s ballistic missile program has historically been a central demand in U.S. negotiations seeking to curb Tehran’s military infrastructure, it has temporarily receded in recent diplomatic proposals, which have focused primarily on the nuclear dossier.
Missiles remain a cornerstone of Iran’s asymmetric military deterrence, particularly after two rounds of conflict severely degraded its traditional air defense networks and conventional capabilities.
In response to the spiraling hostilities, regional diplomatic powers including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey are actively pressing for a negotiated settlement between Tehran and Washington to avert a broader military conflagration that could destabilize regional security, disrupt global energy supplies, and trigger severe economic fallout.
Speaking at a press conference marking the IRGC’s Aerospace Week, Mohebbi noted that the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had previously exercised strategic control over missile range adjustments depending on operational imperatives. He further claimed that the Guards successfully relocated missile and drone manufacturing facilities underground during prior hostilities with Israel and the United States, ensuring uninterrupted production despite heavy aerial bombardments.
“Any point from which we sense a serious threat against our country can become our target,” Mohebbi warned, cautioning that any future aggression against Iran would exact a heavy operational and strategic toll on its adversaries.
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