Examiner News Desk: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reportedly launched the “Kheibar Shekan” medium-range ballistic missile towards Tel Aviv and central Israel, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing hostilities in the region.
According to reports, Al Jazeera’s correspondent Rory Challands analysed the strike and explained how the missile operates and why it is considered a formidable addition to Iran’s missile arsenal.
The Kheibar Shekan, unveiled by Iran in 2022, is a solid-fuel medium-range ballistic missile capable of striking targets up to around 1,450 kilometres away. The missile is designed with manoeuvrable warheads that can adjust trajectory during the terminal phase, making interception by air-defence systems more difficult.
Military analysts say the missile can carry heavy payloads and may also be configured to disperse multiple submunitions over a wide area, increasing the scale of impact. Cluster-type munitions, which scatter smaller explosive devices, are controversial because they can affect large areas and sometimes leave unexploded bomblets that pose long-term risks to civilians.
The use of such weapons remains a subject of international debate. While cluster munitions are banned under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, neither Iran nor Israel are signatories to the treaty, meaning they are not legally bound by the convention’s restrictions.
The latest missile strike has heightened fears of a broader regional confrontation, as tensions between Iran and Israel continue to intensify with repeated exchanges of military attacks and retaliatory actions.
Authorities in Israel have reportedly activated air-defence systems and emergency protocols following the missile launch, while international observers have urged restraint to prevent further escalation in the Middle East.
