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Located in West Asia, the Islamic Republic of Iran is the second biggest country in the Middle East. Iran has the largest inventory of ballistic missiles in the Middle East and is developing indigenous weapon systems such as long-range missiles.
Region | West Asia |
Borders | East: Afghanistan and Pakistan, West: Turkey and Iraq, North: Caspian Sea, South: Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf, North-west: Armenia and Azerbaijan, North-east: Turkmenistan |
Maritime Boundaries | UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain |
Iran has a range of armoured vehicles and artillery to call upon to serve combat needs. Listed below are the assets owned by Iranian Army.
Category | Models |
Main Battle Tanks | Zulfiqar, T-72S, T-62, T-55, T-59, M47/48, M60A1, Karrar (in production) |
Self-Propelled Howitzers | M109 |
Towed Artillery | GHN-45 |
Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) | Fajr-5 |
Amphibious Infantry Fighting Vehicles | BMP-2 |
Armoured Personnel Carriers | BTR-60, Boraq |
Aircraft Name | Type | Procured from |
F-14A/AM Tomcat | Fighter | US |
Shenyang J-6 / F-6 Farmer | Fighter | China |
Su-22 Fitter | Fighter-bomber | Iraq |
Su-24MK Fencer | Fighter-bomber | Russia and Iraq |
F-4D/E Phantom II | Multi-role fighter | US |
Mirage F1 | Multi-role fighter | Iraq |
F-7N Airguard | Multi-role fighter | China |
MiG-29 Fulcrum A | Multi-role fighter | Russia and Iraq |
F-5E/F Tiger II | Multi-role fighter | US |
Aircraft | Role |
EMB-312 Tucano | Trainer and light attack |
Su-25 | Close air support |
IL-76 | Transport |
An-74 | Transport |
Dassault Falcon 20 | Transport and utility |
Boeing CH-47 Chinook | Transport |
Bell 214 | Search and rescue/transport |
Bell 212 | Transport |
Toofan | Attack helicopter |
Mi-8/Mi-17 | Transport |
Iran also operates several armed and unarmed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for ISR and strike missions, as below.
Platform | Role | Endurance | Payload capacity | Altitude | Range | Known combat use |
Ababil-2 | Multi-role | Up to two hours | 40kg | 3,000m | 100km | 2006 Lebanon War |
Ababil-3 | Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) | Four hours | – | 5,000m | 100km | Iraqi civil war, Syrian civil war |
Qasef-1 | Multi-role | 30-45kg | Up to 150km | |||
Mohajer-2 | ISR | 1.5 hours | 15kg | 3,350m | 50km | |
Mohajer-4 | ISR | 7 hours | 5,486m | 150km | Civil wars in Iraq and Syria | |
Mohajer-6 | Multi-role, including ISR and air-to-ground strike | 12 hours | 40kg | 5,486m | 200km | Used against militants and terrorist groups in Iran |
Shahed-129 | Multi-role, including ISR and air-to-ground strike | 24 hours | 400kg | 7,300m | 1,700km | Syrian civil war |
Shahed-123 | ISR | |||||
Karrar | Multi-role | 500km (combat range) |
Iran’s missile arsenal includes close-range ballistic missiles (CRBMs), short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), and medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs), which can hit targets at a maximum range of 2,000km, as far as Israel and south-eastern Europe.
Some of the major missiles Iran possesses include short-range Fateh-series missiles, Shahab-series, Nazeat, and Dezful, among others. Most of the missiles the country has are ballistic surface-to-surface missiles.
Missile | Based Model | Category | Range | Warhead |
Shahab-1 | Soviet Scud-B | SRBM | Up to 350km | 1,000kg |
Shahab-2 | Scud-C | SRBM | 500km | 770kg |
Shahab-3 | No Dong (NK) | MRBM | 2000km | Up to 1,200kg |
Fateh-110 | Zelzal 2 | SRBM | 300km | 650kg |
Fateh-313 | SRBM | 500km | – | |
Qiam-1/ Qiam-1 ER | Derived from Shahab-2 | SRBM | 750km-900km | 750kg |
Khorramshahr | North Korean Musudan | MRBM | 2,000km | 1,800kg |
Emad-1 | Shahab-3 variant with a manoeuvrable reentry vehicle for increased precision | MRBM | up to 2,000km | 750kg |
Zolfaghar | Fateh-110 family variant with a submunition warhead | SRBM | 700km | |
Dezful | Upgrade on Zolfaghar | MRBM | 1,000km | |
Sejil-1 | MRBM | 2,000-2,400km | ||
Sejil-2 | MRBM | Up to 2,500km | ||
Sejil-3 (Reportedly set to be the first IRBM) | IRBM | Up to 4,000km | ||
Hoveyzeh | Part of Soumar cruise missile family | 1,350km | ||
Soumar | MRBM | Up to 3,000km |
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Find out moreSystem | Origin | Type | Range |
SA-20c | Exported version of the Russian S-300PMU-2 missile defence system | Long-range strategic surface-to-air missile | 200km |
Bavar-373 | Developed in Iran (claimed to offer better capabilities than S-300) | Long-range strategic surface-to-air missile | 200km |
Rapier | UK | Short-range surface-to-air missiles | 10km |
Almaz S-200 Angara (SA-5 Gammon) | Soviet Union | Long-range strategic surface-to-air missile | Up to 180km |
MIM-23 Hawk | US | Medium-range surface-to-air missile | 50km |
Mersad | Iran | Medium-range air defence system (fires Shahin missiles) | 45km |
Raad and Khordad-3 | Iran | Medium-range air defence system | 50-75km |
Submarines | Russian-built Kilo-class attack submarines, Ghadir midget submarine (based on North Korean-designed Yono-class), Nahang midget submarines, and Fateh-class coastal submarine |
Surface Combatants | Vosper Mk 5-class, frigates, Jamaran-class frigates and Sahand-class frigate |
Missile/Patrol Boats | Chinese-built Houdong missile boats and La Combattante class (Kaman class) patrol craft |
Other Platforms | Fast attack craft (FAC), fast inshore attack craft (FIAC) |
The Iranian Navy also has a range of anti-ship and coastal defence missiles.
Missile | Type | Range |
Noor | Coastal defence cruise missile | Up to 170km |
Ghader/Qader | Anti-ship cruise missile | 200km |
Ghadir | Anti-ship cruise missile | 300km |
Nasr | Short-range anti-ship missile | 35km |
Jask-2 (in production phase) | Submarine-launched anti-ship cruise missile | |
Khalij Fars (based on Fateh-110) | Ballistic missile with infrared seeker | 300km |
Hormuz-1 | Anti-radar ballistic missile | |
Hormuz-2 | Active radar-guided ballistic missile | 300km |
Although Iran does not have any known nuclear weapons in its inventory, it has the ability to assemble a nuclear bomb with the available uranium stockpile.
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