Iran Missile Range Map: What Short-, Medium-, and Longer-Range Profiles Mean

Overview

Iran has spent four decades building the Middle East's largest missile arsenal as a cornerstone of its national defense strategy. Unable to acquire modern fighter aircraft since the 1979 revolution due to international sanctions, Tehran invested heavily in indigenous ballistic and cruise missile development. The result is a layered arsenal of short-range tactical systems (300-500 km), medium-range theater missiles (800-2,000 km), and potentially longer-range systems under development, each serving a distinct military purpose.

This article maps Iran's major missile systems by range, identifies which countries, military bases, and population centers fall within each range ring, and explains what the accuracy and warhead characteristics of each system mean for actual military utility. A missile that can fly 2,000 km but only land within 2 km of its target serves a fundamentally different purpose than one that flies 300 km but lands within 50 meters. That distinction is critical for understanding the difference between Iran's ability to terrorize civilian populations and its ability to destroy specific military targets.

The analysis draws on CSIS Missile Threat Project data, SIPRI assessments, IISS Military Balance entries, and open-source intelligence from Iran's own parade displays and test launches. Where estimates diverge between sources, this article notes the range of assessments rather than selecting a single figure.

What We Know

As of February 28, 2026, coverage on iran missile range map should prioritize primary documentation and high-credibility reporting. This section focuses on confirmed information and labels uncertainty directly.

• Current reporting on iran missile range map should prioritize named institutional sources and date-labeled updates. CSIS Missile Threat
• Technical and legal claims are strongest when primary documents and independent reporting align. SIPRI military spending release
• Where verification is incomplete, this page labels uncertainty instead of implying certainty. AP live updates (Feb 28, 2026)
• Forward-looking sections are conditional and evidence-based, not predictive claims. AP: US and Israel launch attack
• Internal links connect this page to timeline and hub coverage for continuity. MARAD alert 2025-003A

Analysis

Short-range systems (300-500 km): the tactical layer

Iran's short-range arsenal includes the Fateh-110 family and its derivatives (Fateh-313, Zolfaghar). These solid-fuel missiles are road-mobile, can be launched on short notice, and are Iran's most accurate systems with estimated CEPs of 30-100 meters when using terminal guidance. The Fateh-110 (300 km range) covers all of Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and parts of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, placing US military installations including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait within precise strike range. The Zolfaghar variant extends to approximately 700 km, reaching Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. During the January 2020 strike on Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, Iran used Fateh-class missiles and achieved direct hits on specific structures, demonstrating operational precision that exceeded many Western estimates.

Medium-range systems (1,000-2,000 km): the strategic layer

The Shahab-3 and its improved variant, the Emad, form the backbone of Iran's medium-range force. The Shahab-3 (1,300 km range) is a liquid-fueled missile based on the North Korean Nodong design. It can reach Israel, Turkey, Egypt, and all Gulf states. The Emad, first tested in 2015, adds a maneuverable re-entry vehicle (MaRV) designed to improve terminal accuracy to an estimated CEP of 500 meters -- still too imprecise for military point targets but sufficient to strike cities, airbases, or industrial complexes. The Khorramshahr (also called Khorramshahr-4 or Kheibar Shekan in newer variants), with an estimated range of 2,000+ km, can reach southeastern Europe, central Turkey, and northeastern Africa. Its larger payload capacity (estimated 1,500 kg) makes it theoretically suitable for unconventional warheads, which is why Western intelligence agencies monitor this system closely.

Survivability and second-strike capability

Iran's missile forces are deliberately designed to survive a first strike. The IRGC Aerospace Force operates from hardened underground facilities -- so-called "missile cities" -- built deep inside Iran's Zagros and Alborz mountain ranges. In 2015, Iranian state media broadcast footage from one such facility showing rows of Emad missiles on launch rails inside a tunnel complex. Road-mobile TELs (transporter-erector-launchers) add a second layer of survivability by dispersing launch assets across Iran's vast territory. The combination of underground storage, rapid dispersal, and solid-fuel readiness (the Fateh family can launch within minutes of a fire order) means that a pre-emptive strike campaign would need to locate and destroy hundreds of dispersed assets simultaneously -- a challenge that even large-scale air campaigns may not fully accomplish.

What's Next

Iran's missile capabilities are not static -- several developments could materially change the range map and the threat assessment in the near term.

• Watch for test launches of the Khorramshahr-4 (Kheibar Shekan) variant, which Iran claims has a 2,000 km range with improved accuracy. Confirmed deployment would extend precise strike capability to targets previously reachable only by less accurate older systems. CSIS Missile Threat
• Monitor whether Iran deploys anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs) modeled on China's DF-21D concept. Iranian officials have claimed development of such systems, which would change the naval equation in the Persian Gulf by threatening aircraft carriers at ranges beyond current anti-ship cruise missile limits. SIPRI military spending release
• Track satellite imagery of known missile production facilities and tunnel entrances for signs of surge production or increased dispersal activity, which would indicate Iran is preparing its missile forces for potential use rather than maintaining routine readiness posture. AP live updates (Feb 28, 2026)
• Follow IAEA reporting on Iran's enrichment activities in connection with missile development, since the warhead type (conventional vs. unconventional) fundamentally changes what any given range ring means for target countries within it. AP: US and Israel launch attack

Why It Matters

Iran's missile arsenal is the primary tool Tehran has for projecting military power beyond its borders. Unlike conventional air forces, which Iran cannot modernize due to decades of sanctions, ballistic missiles are domestically produced, continuously improved, and deployed in numbers large enough to overwhelm missile defense systems through saturation. Israel's Arrow and David's Sling systems, Saudi Arabia's Patriot batteries, and US Aegis-equipped destroyers in the Gulf all provide layers of defense, but no system achieves 100% interception rates against large salvos. Iran's April 2024 strike demonstrated that even with extensive advance warning and multilateral defense coordination, some projectiles will reach their targets.

The range map determines the geography of risk for hundreds of millions of people. Countries within the Shahab-3/Emad ring -- Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and all Gulf states -- face a fundamentally different security calculus than countries outside it. Forward-deployed US military personnel at bases across Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE are within range of Iran's most accurate short-range systems, creating a direct link between Iranian missile capability and American military casualties in any escalation scenario.

For defense planners, diplomats, and the public, understanding missile range is essential context for evaluating escalation risks. Claims that strikes on Iran can be conducted without consequence ignore the geographic reality that Iran can retaliate against targets across a 2,000 km radius with weapons that have been tested, deployed, and in some cases already used in combat. The range map is not theoretical -- it is the operational reality that shapes every decision about military action involving Iran.

Related Coverage

• US Strikes Iran: Full Timeline, Targets, and Global Impact
• Regional Missile Defense Systems in the Middle East
• Iran's Response to US Strikes: Retaliation and Fallout
• Iran Conflict: Evidence-Based Scenarios for the Next 30 Days
• Flight Routes and Conflict Zones: Middle East Airspace

Sources

Last updated: February 28, 2026. This article is revised when new evidence materially changes what can be stated with confidence.