- Side
- Iran
Iran used ballistic missiles, drones, and artillery against Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq during the September-November 2022 strike campaign.
Artillery
Iranian ballistic missiles
Also known as
- Iranian missile arsenal
- Iran ballistic missile arsenal
- IRGC ballistic missiles
- Iran missile forces
- Shahab
- Shahab-1
- Shahab-2
- Shahab-3
- Shehab
- Qiam-1
- Qiam-2
- Fateh-110
- Fateh-313
- Zolfaghar
- Zulfiqar
- Dezful
- Haj Qasem
- Ghadr-1
- Qadr-1
- Emad
- Sejjil
- Sajjil
- Sajil
- Khorramshahr
- Kheibar Shekan
- Kheybar Shekan
- Fattah-1
Iranian ballistic missiles comprise Iran's short- and medium-range strike families, from Scud-derived Shahab and Qiam liquid-fuel systems to solid-fuel Fateh, Zolfaghar, Kheibar Shekan, Fattah, and Sejjil lines. Public references describe a mostly road-mobile force with ranges from a few hundred kilometers to about 2,000 km or more, improved precision and reentry-vehicle work, and repeated direct use in regional conflicts.
Role in Conflicts
- Side
- Iran
Iran used ballistic missiles in direct U.S.-Iran exchanges, including attacks on U.S.-used bases in Iraq in January 2020, Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar on June 23, 2025, and missiles fired toward Kuwait and Bahrain on June 5, 2026; public releases did not identify the exact 2025 or 2026 missile models.
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- Iran
Iran launched medium-range ballistic missiles as part of the April 13-14, 2024 attack on Israel; U.S. defense reporting counted more than 110 medium-range ballistic missiles among the airborne weapons.
- Side
- Iran
Iran launched waves of ballistic missiles against Israel during the June 2025 Israel-Iran conflict; public summaries usually identify the weapon class rather than every missile model.
- Side
- Iran
Iran fired ballistic missiles during the 2026 Iran War, including seven missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain on June 5, 2026; CENTCOM reported six interceptions and one missile failing to reach its target, without naming exact missile models.
Profile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- Iran
- Type
- Ballistic missile family
- Service note
- 1980s-present
- Designer
- Aerospace Industries Organization
- Designed
- 1980s-present program
- Unit cost
- Not publicly disclosed
- Produced
- 1980s-present
- Number built
- Iran Watch cites a 2022 U.S. Central Command estimate of more than 3,000 Iranian ballistic missiles, before later wartime expenditures and losses.
Specifications
- Range classes
- Primarily SRBM and MRBM families; CSIS lists examples from Fateh-110 at 200-300 km to Sejjil and Khorramshahr around 2,000 km or more.
- Propulsion
- Mixed liquid-fuel Scud/Shahab/Qiam and Shahab-3-derived systems, plus solid-fuel Fateh/Zolfaghar, Sejjil, Kheibar Shekan, and Fattah-family systems.
- Basing
- Mostly road-mobile launchers; CSIS lists road-mobile basing for many families and road-mobile or silo basing for some Shahab-3-derived systems.
- Guidance and accuracy trend
- Later systems emphasize improved precision, separable or maneuvering reentry vehicles, and terminal guidance on some Fateh-family derivatives.
- Payloads
- Varies by missile; public references list roughly 500 kg class payloads for Fateh/Qiam examples, 700 kg for Sejjil, 760-1,200 kg for Shahab-3, and heavier Khorramshahr payloads.
- Combat-use sourcing limit
- Direct conflict sources usually identify the weapon class as Iranian ballistic missiles, not every missile model in each strike.
Variants
Iran's ballistic-missile inventory is better read as overlapping families rather than one linear model series: Scud-derived Shahab and Qiam systems, solid-fuel Fateh and Zolfaghar descendants, Shahab-3/Ghadr/Emad medium-range systems, and larger Sejjil and Khorramshahr designs.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
 | Solid-fuel SRBM family base | CSIS lists Fateh-110 as a road-mobile Iranian SRBM and Iran Watch treats later solid-fuel systems as part of Iran's move toward faster-launching, more survivable missiles. Sources: Fateh-110 | Missile Threat - CSIS, Iran Watch Table of Iran's Missile Arsenal |
 | Extended-range Fateh derivative | CSIS lists Fateh-313 among Iran's operational ballistic missiles and the catalog treats it as an extended Fateh-family derivative. Sources: Missiles of Iran |
 | Longer-range Fateh-family SRBM | CSIS groups Dezful and Qasem under the Zolfaghar family and lists the line as solid-fueled and road-mobile. |
 | Qasem/Haj Qasem longer-range Fateh-family derivative | Cataloged Haj Qasem sources place it in the extended Fateh/Zolfaghar design line with a reported 1,400 km class range. |
 | Liquid-fuel SRBM | CSIS describes Qiam-1 as a Shahab-2-derived Iranian SRBM with a separating warhead and road-mobile basing. Sources: Qiam-1 | Missile Threat - CSIS |
 | Modified Qiam with reentry-vehicle changes | Iran Watch notes that independent analysts call the modified Qiam-1 Qiam-2 and link it to improved reentry-vehicle performance. |
 | Scud-C/Shahab-2 lineage | The Shahab and Qiam branch represents Iran's older liquid-fuel Scud-derived missile line. Sources: Qiam-1 | Missile Threat - CSIS |
 | Shahab-3 variant family | CSIS lists Ghadr-1 and Emad as Shahab-3 variants in Iran's MRBM inventory. Sources: Missiles of Iran |
 | Two-stage solid-propellant MRBM | CSIS lists Sejjil as an Iranian medium-range ballistic missile with a 2,000 km class range. Sources: Missiles of Iran |
 | Solid-fuel MRBM | Iran Watch includes Kheibar Shekan among Iran's solid-propellant ballistic-missile systems. |
 | Maneuvering reentry-vehicle ballistic missile | Iran Watch describes Fattah-1 as a ballistic missile with a solid booster and a maneuvering reentry-vehicle motor rather than a conventional hypersonic-glide system. |
| Khorramshahr | Liquid-fuel MRBM | CSIS describes Khorramshahr as a road-mobile Iranian MRBM likely derived from the North Korean Musudan/BM-25, with a heavy payload and reported 2,000-3,000 km range. Sources: Khorramshahr | Missile Threat - CSIS |
Carried Warheads
Some Iranian ballistic-missile families are described in public references as able to carry submunition or cluster-style warheads.
| Carried item | Item type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Cluster-munition warhead | CSIS describes Khorramshahr as an Iranian medium-range ballistic missile whose claimed multiple-warhead capability most likely refers to a submunitions warhead. Sources: Khorramshahr | Missile Threat - CSIS |
Family Branches
Open references group Iran's ballistic missiles by overlapping technology lineages rather than by one official family tree. The catalog links below separate the broad family page from named missile records where public sourcing is strong enough.
Scud and Shahab line
Older liquid-fuel missiles include Shahab and Qiam systems, with Qiam described as a Shahab-2 derivative and modified Qiam versions assessed with improved reentry-vehicle behavior.
Fateh and Zolfaghar line
Solid-fuel road-mobile designs include Fateh-110, Fateh-313, Zolfaghar, and longer-range descendants such as Haj Qasem.
Medium-range families
The medium-range branch includes Ghadr/Qadr, Sejjil, Kheibar Shekan, Fattah-1, and Khorramshahr, with public sources mixing official claims and outside estimates.
Timeline
Iranian ballistic missiles Key Events
Scud-era missile force begins
CSIS says Iran sought greater standoff strike capability during the Iran-Iraq War and acquired Scud-B missiles and related launcher technology in the mid-1980s.
Sources: Shahab-1 (Scud B-Variant) | Missile Threat - CSIS
Combat use in eastern Syria
CSIS records Iranian missile combat use in June 2017 against Islamic State targets near Deir ez-Zor, one of several regional missile operations before the U.S.-Iran and Israel-Iran exchanges cataloged here.
Sources: Missiles of Iran
Missile attack on U.S.-used bases in Iraq
The Defense Department said Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces at Al-Asad and Irbil after the U.S. killing of Qassem Soleimani.
Sources: DOD Iranian Ballistic Missile Attacks in Iraq
Iran attacks Israel with ballistic missiles and drones
U.S. defense reporting counted more than 110 medium-range ballistic missiles among the weapons launched from Iran, Syria, and Yemen at Israel during the April 2024 exchange.
Sources: DOD Iran Airborne Attacks Against Israel
June 2025 Israel-Iran missile salvos
CRS reported that Iran retaliated against Israel's June 2025 operation by launching waves of ballistic missiles against Israel.
Sources: CRS 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict
Al-Udeid Air Base attack
CENTCOM said U.S. and Qatari forces defeated an Iranian ballistic-missile attack on Qatar's Al-Udeid Air Base with Patriot batteries.
Sources: CENTCOM Al-Udeid Defense
Missiles fired toward Kuwait and Bahrain
CENTCOM said Iran fired seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain, with six intercepted and one failing to reach its target.
Sources: CENTCOM Forces Defeat Missiles, Drones Launched by Iran
Media
Iranian ballistic missiles Images
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
Missiles of IranPublisher: CSIS Missile Threat | Note: Supports Iran's ballistic-missile inventory, family examples, combat-use overview, and general range/background context for the entry. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Iran Watch Table of Iran's Missile ArsenalPublisher: Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control / Iran Watch | Note: Supports inventory size context, SRBM/MRBM class framing, solid-fuel development trend, precision/reentry-vehicle trend, and cautions around public estimates. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Treasury Iran missile production networksPublisher: U.S. Department of the Treasury | Note: Supports manufacturer and background context for Iran's ballistic-missile production network, including AIO and related entities. | Accessed: 2026-07-03DOD Iranian Ballistic Missile Attacks in IraqPublisher: U.S. Department of War | Note: 2020 United States-Iran Conflict: Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces at Al-Asad and Irbil in January 2020. | Accessed: 2026-07-03CENTCOM Al-Udeid DefensePublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: 2020 United States-Iran Conflict: ballistic missiles fired by Iran at Al-Udeid Air Base on June 23, 2025. | Accessed: 2026-07-03CENTCOM Forces Defeat Missiles, Drones Launched by IranPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: 2020 United States-Iran Conflict and 2026 Iran War: Iran fired seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain on June 5, 2026; the release did not identify exact missile models. | Accessed: 2026-07-03DOD Iran Airborne Attacks Against IsraelPublisher: U.S. Department of War | Note: 2024 Iran-Israel Exchange: U.S. defense reporting counted more than 110 medium-range ballistic missiles among weapons launched at Israel in the April 13-14, 2024 attack. | Accessed: 2026-07-03CRS 2025 Israel-Iran ConflictPublisher: Congressional Research Service via EveryCRSReport.com | Note: 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict: CRS reported that Iran retaliated against Israel's June 2025 operation by launching waves of ballistic missiles against Israel. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Iran Primer Kurdish Groups IraqPublisher: U.S. Institute of Peace / The Iran Primer | Note: 2004 Iranian-Kurdish Conflict: documents Iranian ballistic missiles, drones, and artillery used against Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq in the September-November 2022 strike campaign. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Shahab-1 (Scud B-Variant) | Missile Threat - CSISPublisher: CSIS Missile Threat | Note: Supports the mid-1980s Scud-era origin context for Iran's ballistic-missile force. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Fateh-110 | Missile Threat - CSISPublisher: CSIS Missile Threat | Note: Supports Fateh-110 identity, road-mobile basing, solid propulsion, range, payload, and submunition-warhead option. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Qiam-1 | Missile Threat - CSISPublisher: CSIS Missile Threat | Note: Supports Qiam-1 as a Shahab-2-derived Iranian SRBM with road-mobile basing, liquid propulsion, separating warhead, and listed submunitions option. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Zolfaghar (Dezful, Qasem) | Missile Threat - CSISPublisher: CSIS Missile Threat | Note: Supports Zolfaghar, Dezful, and Qasem family structure, ranges, solid propulsion, road-mobile basing, and submunition-warhead option. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Khorramshahr | Missile Threat - CSISPublisher: CSIS Missile Threat | Note: Supports Khorramshahr MRBM specifications and the claim that its multiple-warhead reference most likely describes a submunitions warhead. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Iranian Ballistic Missile Ranges (2019) - Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Wikimedia Commons file page for the primary range-map image; the file is licensed on Commons. | Accessed: 2026-07-03IRGC-AF SRBMs.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports public image provenance for a photo showing Iranian IRGC Aerospace Force short-range ballistic missiles, including the Zolfaghar family display. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Fateh-110 family missile - Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Wikimedia Commons file page for the supporting launcher image; the file is CC BY 4.0 licensed on Commons. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Shahab-3 MRBM illustration - Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Wikimedia Commons file page for the supporting Shahab-3 illustration image; the file is CC BY 3.0 licensed on Commons. | Accessed: 2026-07-03