Israel attacks Iran's heaviest missiles

Six Khorramshahr ballistic missiles are seen flanked by Haj Qasem ballistic missiles during a ceremony to mark the first delivery of the types to the IRGC on 22 August 2023. (president.ir)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on 22 June that it had attacked a ballistic missile base in Yazd for the first time in its Operation ‘Rising Lion' against Iran.

It said airstrikes had hit the Imam Hussein Strategic Missile Command Centre in the Yazd area where Khorramshahr missiles were stored and released aerial targeting footage that enabled one of the strikes to be geolocated to a base in the mountains just to the south of Yazd city.

This dovetailed with Iranian social media videos showing smoke rising from these mountains, as well as a base south of the city identified as the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps' (IRGC's) Shahid Sadoughi Barracks.

“In broad daylight, we surprised the Imam Hussein missile headquarters in central Iran, the farthest target we've struck to date,” Israeli Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Bar said. “We destroyed Khorramshahr missiles before they were launched at Israel and struck tunnels used to store the missiles.”

The base is about 1,850 km from Tel Aviv making it the most distant missile base known to have been attacked to date, although at least one longer-range target – an aircraft at Mashhad airbase – has been hit.

With a 2,000 km range when carrying a payload weighing at least 1,500 kg, the liquid-fuel Khorramshahr is Iran's most powerful missile. Reports that the IRGC has used the type in its retaliatory attacks against Israel remain unconfirmed.