Iran has been using Kheibar Shekan missiles in attacks on US military bases across the region since the confrontation resumed nearly two weeks ago, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing US officials.
The officials said the United States and its allies had intercepted most of the Kheibar Shekan missiles launched during the war, although some penetrated air defences and reached their targets.
A New Military Tactic
According to the officials, Tehran has recently combined different flight paths, manoeuvres and speeds in an effort to confuse US defence systems.
Iran has also launched high-speed attack drones and less advanced missiles at the same locations targeted by Kheibar Shekan missiles, while continuing to adjust its tactics throughout the confrontation.
The Wall Street Journal said that since the collapse of the ceasefire, Iran has repeatedly targeted residential areas where US forces are stationed at bases across the Middle East. It has also attacked radars supporting air defence systems as part of a strategy that, according to the newspaper, places US troops at greater risk.
Kheibar Shekan’s Capabilities
Military analysts told the newspaper that Kheibar Shekan missiles can be fuelled and rapidly loaded onto trucks or other vehicles for launch, helping them evade US and Israeli aircraft seeking to destroy Iranian missile sites.
Some versions of the missile are equipped with a small engine in the front section, which carries the explosive warhead and separates during the final stage of flight. According to analysts and officials cited by the newspaper, this engine allows the missile to adjust its trajectory as it approaches the target at speeds exceeding 9,000 kilometres per hour.
Iran developed the Kheibar Shekan ballistic missile as a major advancement in the medium-range, solid-fuel category. Its lightweight structure was designed to help it evade air defence systems by following complex, curved flight paths.
The missile relies on an internal navigation system protected against jamming and can update its trajectory during flight, giving it considerable flexibility in striking both fortified and mobile targets.
Experts concluded that the Iranians had recognised during the current war that Kheibar Shekan missiles were highly valuable because they are inexpensive to produce, adaptable across different launch systems and highly effective, according to the newspaper.
US and Israeli estimates cited by The Wall Street Journal suggest Iran possessed around 2,500 Kheibar Shekan missiles and other medium-range missiles before the war began. The report also noted the possibility that additional missiles are being reassembled at underground bases.
In a separate report published on Friday, The Wall Street Journal said recent satellite imagery showed that Iran had moved quickly to rebuild infrastructure damaged during the US-Israeli campaign, including fortified missile bases inside mountains, bridges, ports and production facilities.
The pace of reconstruction has reportedly raised concerns among Israeli and Western officials.
