"From Defense to Offense": Iran's Long-Range Strike Capability Upgrade?

【Global Times Special Correspondent Wu Yan】The military actions launched by the United States and Israel against Iran have entered their fourth week. On the 22nd, the commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Abdollah, stated that the Iranian armed forces have shifted their strategy from defense to offense in defending the nation, and the tactical guidelines on the battlefield have also changed accordingly. Correspondingly, Iran's means of attack have become more diversified, utilizing long-range missiles to target the Diego Garcia base located 3,800 kilometers away, and deploying a new generation of drones to the battlefield, increasing the difficulty of defense for the U.S. and Israel.

How to Break Through a Missile Range of 4,000 Kilometers

On the 22nd, the U.S. consumer news and business channel (CNBC) reported that the UK confirmed that Iran had launched two missiles at the UK-US joint base located in the Indian Ocean, but neither hit the target. UK Housing Minister Steve Reed stated in an interview, “Our assessment is that Iran did indeed launch two ballistic missiles targeting Diego Garcia. As we understand, one missile missed the target, and the other was intercepted.” However, Reed refused to disclose how far the Iranian missiles deviated from their targets.

The Wall Street Journal was the first to report this incident, claiming that this attack marks Iran's first attempt to extend its attack range beyond the Middle East, representing a significant threat to U.S. interests.

The Israeli military also stated on the 21st that Iran used two-stage ballistic missiles to attack the UK-US base on Diego Garcia. Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir stated, “These Iranian missiles have a range of up to 4,000 kilometers and are not aimed at Israel. Their range covers Europe, with capitals such as Berlin, Paris, and Rome all within their direct threat range.” However, Reed stated, “Currently, there is no specific assessment indicating that Iran is targeting the UK, or that they could even do so if they wanted to.” CNBC reported that the UK Ministry of Defense stated that Iran's failed attack on the Diego Garcia base occurred the day before the UK approved the U.S. military's use of its base for so-called “defensive actions.”

What intrigues the outside world is when Iran's missile range achieved a significant breakthrough. Previously, Western intelligence assessments estimated that the maximum range of Iran's active missiles was about 2,000 kilometers, including the “Khoramshahr-4” liquid-fueled missile and the “Zolfaghar-2” solid-fueled missile. The main speculation currently is that Iran may have achieved greater range by carrying lighter warheads based on existing missiles. For example, in 2019, Iran tested an improved version of the “Khoramshahr” missile, which increased its range to 3,000 kilometers by equipping it with a lighter warhead. Another speculation is that Iran utilized the technological commonality between ballistic missiles and launch vehicles to modify launch vehicles into ballistic missiles, but this would reduce their accuracy.

Regardless, Iran's first launch of ballistic missiles at the Diego Garcia base will inevitably constrain the focus of U.S. defenses. The Wall Street Journal reported that a U.S. Navy destroyer used its onboard “Standard-3” interceptors to shoot down an Iranian missile heading towards the Diego Garcia base, meaning that in the future, the U.S. Navy will have to continue deploying vessels to intercept Iranian missiles launched towards the Indian Ocean, thereby reducing the offensive pressure on Iran's territory.

Enhanced Penetration Capability of Medium-Range Missiles

As another sign of Iran's shift from defense to offense, Iran launched strikes late on the 21st near Israel's most sensitive nuclear facilities, successfully breaching Israel's air defense system for the first time. Al Jazeera reported on the 22nd that the Israeli Health Ministry stated that Iran launched missiles at the two cities of Dimona and Arad in southern Israel, resulting in at least 180 injuries. Reports indicate that these two cities are close to Israel's most sensitive site—the Negev Nuclear Research Center, which is believed to be closely related to Israel's nuclear weapons program.

Reports state that Iranian state television characterized this attack as a “response” to the earlier attack on Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility that day, “marking a new phase of tit-for-tat in this conflict.” Israeli firefighters described, “In Dimona and Arad, the interceptors failed to hit the incoming threat, resulting in Iranian ballistic missiles weighing hundreds of kilograms hitting ground targets directly twice.”

An Israeli military spokesperson stated that the missile attacks by Iran on Dimona and Arad were not “special or uncommon.” Eyewitnesses captured moments of Iranian missiles evading interception by the Israeli missile defense system through maneuvering. In the 72nd round of the “Real Commitment-4” operation launched against the U.S. and Israel on the night of the 21st, Iran primarily used ballistic missiles such as “Imad” and “Qader.” Among them, “Imad” is Iran's first medium-range missile with precision guidance capabilities, improved from the “Shahab-3” medium-range liquid-fueled ballistic missile, equipped with maneuverable aerodynamic fins to enhance accuracy and penetration capability; “Qader,” in addition to having similar maneuvering and high-speed characteristics, can also carry multiple warheads, providing greater destructive capability. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps publicly displayed improved versions of the “Qader” and “Imad” missiles in October 2025, with the latest “Qader” missile increasing its electronic warfare countermeasure capabilities, while the “Imad” can be launched from underground silos, greatly enhancing its survivability and response speed.

Deployment of a New Generation of Drones

In Iran's “Real Commitment-4” operation against the U.S. and Israel, a large number of launched “Witness” series long-range suicide drones played a significant role, even putting U.S. air defense systems at risk of “ammunition crisis.” According to a report by Iran's Tasnim News Agency on the 22nd, the Iranian military used the new “Arash-2” drone to strike Israel's Ben Gurion Airport.

Reports indicate that a spokesperson for the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that the “Arash-2” drone has a range of 2,000 kilometers, significantly exceeding the previously commonly used “Witness-136” drone. He also stated, “Due to the very small radar cross-section of this new drone, it can easily penetrate enemy radar systems. Additionally, the ‘Arash-2’ drone has a long endurance and is very cost-effective compared to other drones.”    

The “Arash-2” drone was first publicly unveiled in 2022, with its prototype appearing in Iranian military exercises as early as 2020. It is a large propeller-driven suicide drone that, in addition to having a longer range, can carry a warhead weighing around 150 kilograms, with destructive power comparable to that of the Russian Kh-101 long-range cruise missile, while costing only about 1/10 of the latter. Iran claims that this drone combines a precision guidance module and an improved autonomous navigation system, allowing it to re-lock onto targets during flight. The “Arash-2” drone bridges the gap between Iran's tactical drones and strategic strike capabilities, providing a long-range, relatively low-cost weapon that supports asymmetric deterrence and deep strike missions.