Iran has released a new extended-range ballistic missile called “Qassem Baseer,” according to its semi-official news agency Tasnim. Revealed on Sunday, the solid-fueled missile is reportedly capable of reaching up to 1,200 kilometers and equipped with an upgraded warhead that can penetrate air defenses and an advanced navigation system designed to counter electronic warfare.
The regime made the announcement the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened retaliation against Iran and the Houthi rebels in Yemen, whom he accused of launching a ballistic missile attack on Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport. Netanyahu claimed the Houthis are acting on Tehran’s orders and vowed to “do what needs to be done,” saying Israel “cannot tolerate such acts.”
Iran maintains that its military capabilities are purely defensive and pose no threat to regional stability. Tasnim, a media outlet associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that Tehran’s defense doctrine is “based on deterrence.”
This development comes after U.S. sanctions on Iran’s missile production network, which the Department of the Treasury said supplied components to the IRGC.