Pezeshkian nominates sanctions-listed missile industry veteran Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi as Iran defence minister

Iran's Army spokesperson, Mohammad Akrami-Nia, announced on Sunday that the country plans to develop missiles with a range exceeding 1,000 kilometers to target "enemies at a greater distance from our forces." Addressing the presence of US military forces beyond the Strait of Hormuz, Akrami-Nia stated that the military concluded during the war that increasing missile range was necessary.

This decision follows Iran's claims in February that it limited missile range to 2,000 km to avoid appearing as an international threat. However, reports from March suggested Iran attempted to strike Diego Garcia with intermediate-range ballistic missiles, a range far beyond 2,000 km.

During the conflict, Iranian ground forces used effective missiles against enemy bases in Kuwait, while naval forces employed sea-launched missiles against enemy vessels. Akrami-Nia emphasized that these missiles were successful and that Iran intends to improve their speed and range, given the enemy's increased distance from their forces.

Iran currently has several missiles capable of reaching over 1,000 km, such as the Khorramshahr, Sejjil, and Shahab-3. The Shahab-3, in particular, has later variants with ranges up to 1,950 km. The spokesperson's remarks come after IRGC Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi claimed that Iranian attacks forced US forces out of the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters.