TEN DAYS: IRGC unveils Khaybar Shekhan precision strike ballistic missile with range of 1,450 km

The missile, dubbed Khaybar Shekhan, was put on display on Wednesday during a ceremony attended by Chief of Staff of Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Division Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, and a number of other high-ranking military officials and commanders.

The celebration ceremony coincided with celebrations in Iran commemorating the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the US-backed Pahlavi dynasty.

Khaybar Shekhan is reportedly among third-generation long-range missiles indigenously developed and manufactured by military experts at the IRGC’s Aerospace Division.

The new missile uses solid propellants and is said to be capable of penetrating into missile shields with high maneuverability during its landing stage.

The modern design of Khaybar Shekhan has reduced its weight by a third in comparison with similar missiles, and the preparation time to launch the missile has apparently decreased to one-sixths compared to conventional projectiles.

Moreover, the new ballistic missile enjoys considerable agility and high velocity when hitting its targets.

A Pentagon study has recently acknowledged Iran’s missile power, saying its arsenal is larger than that of any other Middle Eastern country.

“Iran has an extensive missile development program, and the size and sophistication of its missile force continue to grow despite decades of counter-proliferation efforts aimed at curbing its advancement,” it said. 

Despite decades of Washington-imposed sanctions, Iran has made great achievements in its ballistic missiles program.

Last month, an American political analyst said Iran’s missile program has disrupted the strategic military calculations of the United States in the Middle East, altering the balance of power in a region where Washington has long sought to maintain a military edge. 

“The US fears Iran is upsetting the hitherto American-enforced regional balance of power whereby Washington and its allies were supposed to have a decisive military advantage over the Islamic Republic,” Andrew Korybko, a Moscow-based American political commentator, told Press TV.