Munitions

Cruise missile

Cruise missiles are air-breathing guided munitions that fly a low, level path to a target. In the Israel-Iran Conflict, Iranian cruise missiles formed part of mixed long-range salvos that complicated warning and interception.

Conflict side
Iran
Built by
Multiple manufacturers
Built in
Multiple countries

Service History

In service
Used in air-, sea-, and ground-launched variants by multiple states.
Used by
Iranian Armed Forces
Wars
Israel-Iran Conflict

Production History

Designer
Multiple national design programs
Designed
1930s-1940s origins; modern variants from the 1960s
Built by
Multiple manufacturers
Built in
Multiple countries
Unit cost
Varies widely by variant and producer
Produced
1940s to present
Number built
Thousands across many variants
Variants
Land-attack cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, Air-launched cruise missile

Specifications

Propulsion
Air-breathing jet engine
Guidance
Inertial, satellite, terrain-matching, or terminal seekers depending on variant
Launch platforms
Ships, submarines, aircraft, and ground launchers
Flight profile
Low-altitude, level flight designed to reduce detection

Conflict Usage

Israel-Iran Conflict
Side: IranRole: Long-range strikestrikedeep strike

In the Israel-Iran Conflict, Iranian cruise missiles were part of the June 2025 salvos that compressed Israeli warning times and helped create a mixed missile-and-drone threat.

Cruise missile Images

Related Weapon Systems

Sources