Iran’s rapidly expanding missile program is a growing threat to regional stability in the Middle East and is a cause of grave concern to Tehran’s immediate and more distant neighbors. Al-Alam, Iran’s Arabic-language news service, recently declared that the Islamic Republic is the region’s missile power. [1]

On July 9, 2008, as part of a series of war games code-named “The Great Prophet,” Iran successfully launched the Shahab-3 missile that travels up to 930 miles (1,500 km). [2] The newer Shahab-3ER, with a 2,000-km range, puts Turkey into Iran’s missile range. [3] Iran could also strike numerous European countries with its long-range ballistic BM25 land-mobile missiles; one model has a range of 1,550 miles (2,500 km) and the other can reach as far as 2,175 miles (3,500 km). [4]

In addition, Iran is also developing its own satellite-launching capability, which could allow for the conversion of a satellite launcher into an intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of almost 2,500 miles (4,000 km). [5]