Khorramshahr
Iranian ballistic missile family reaching 2,500km, used in Operation True Promise 4 strikes on Israel.
Last refreshed: 30 March 2026
Can Israeli air defences reliably stop a missile that has already hit Dimona twice?
Latest on Khorramshahr
- What is the Khorramshahr missile?
- The Khorramshahr is an Iranian medium-range Ballistic missile with a stated range of 2,000–2,500km. Its latest variant, Khorramshahr-4, carries a large warhead and has been used extensively in the 2026 Iran-Israel conflict as part of Operation True Promise 4.Source: Iran Deputy Foreign Minister statement
- Has the Khorramshahr missile hit Israel?
- Yes. By mid-2026 the Khorramshahr had recorded multiple confirmed strikes on Israeli territory, including two direct hits in Dimona and Arad and a strike on the Bazan oil refinery in Haifa. The IDF publicly acknowledged the missile evaded interception in at least one case.Source: IDF / Israeli firefighters
- What is the difference between Khorramshahr and Kheibar Shekan?
- The Khorramshahr-4 is also referred to in some Iranian designations as the Kheibar Shekan. They are closely related variants of the same missile family; both appear together in IRGC operational lists, suggesting they may denote different configurations of the same base platform.Source: IRGC operational announcement
- How far can the Khorramshahr missile reach?
- Iran’s deputy foreign minister stated the Khorramshahr has a range of 2,000–2,500km, sufficient to reach Greece, Cyprus, and parts of the Balkans from Iranian territory.Source: Majid Takht-Ravanchi, France 24
- Can Iron Dome or Arrow-3 intercept the Khorramshahr?
- At least twice during the 2026 conflict, the Khorramshahr evaded Israeli air defences. At Dimona and Arad, interceptors launched but failed to hit the incoming missiles, and the IDF spokesman acknowledged the system ‘operated but did not intercept.’Source: IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin
Background
The Khorramshahr is Iran’s medium-range Ballistic missile (MRBM) series, developed domestically as part of a programme to extend strategic reach beyond Iran’s immediate neighbours. The Khorramshahr-4 variant, also marketed as Kheibar Shekan in some official Iranian designations, carries a warhead capable of penetrating hardened targets; Iran’s deputy foreign minister cited a range of 2,000–2,500km, sufficient to cover Greece, Cyprus, and parts of the Balkans.
The Khorramshahr has become one of the primary long-range strike systems deployed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Operation True Promise 4. The missile’s latest variant, Khorramshahr-4, was deployed in the 61st wave alongside Qadr multi-warhead missiles, striking the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and killing a couple in Ramat Gan while forcing suspension of rail services at Tel Aviv’s Savidor Central station. By the 66th wave, it was deployed with Kheibarshekan, Emad, and Zolfaqar systems in a broadened weapon mix.
The missile has recorded two confirmed penetrations of Israeli air defences: Israeli firefighters confirmed two direct hits in Dimona and Arad, with the IDF spokesman acknowledging the system ‘operated but did not intercept’ the incoming round. That admission raises acute questions about layered Israeli missile defence, including Arrow-3 and Iron Dome, against manoeuvring re-entry vehicles at this range.
