The British Telegraph reported that Iran is developing missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers, citing information from an exiled opposition group. Additionally, Iran unveiled what it claims to be a new ballistic missile capable of striking targets up to 1,700 km away - well within range of Israel.
According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an opposition group, the Ayatollah regime has been using two facilities for missile development, concealing them as communication satellite launch sites. Work at these locations is conducted under strict secrecy and stringent security measures.
The report identifies two key facilities where development and production are taking place. The first is located 35 kilometers from the northern Iranian city of Shahroud. The site reportedly employs personnel from the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), which serves as the regime's arm for nuclear weapons development, alongside specialists from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) working on nuclear warheads.
According to the report, Iran aims to adapt nuclear warheads to be compatible with the Qaem-100 satellite launcher, which has already been successfully used at least three times for satellite launches. This system, the report claims, would enable Iran to target locations within a 3,000-kilometer range, bringing even European targets within reach.
The second site, known as the Imam Khomeini Facility, is situated about 70 kilometers southeast of the central Iranian city of Semnan. At this location, Iran is reportedly developing missiles based on North Korea's Unha-1 rocket, which Pyongyang uses to launch satellites into space. The report indicates that the site contains underground facilities and has seen the addition of new structures over the past decade. The opposition organization shared satellite images with the British newspaper, showing suspicious activity at the site, activity that has previously been reported by international media.
As noted, Iran today unveiled a new ballistic missile, which it claims represents a significant advancement in its military arsenal, at a ceremony attended by President Masoud Pezeshkian. The missile, named Etemad, meaning "Trust" in Persian, was presented as the latest step in strengthening Iran's defensive capabilities. "Developing defense capabilities and space technologies... aims to ensure that no country dares to attack Iranian territory," Pezeshkian said in a televised speech.
The path to a nuclear weapon
To acquire nuclear weapons, in addition to fissile material, two other key components are required: designing the material into a nuclear warhead (where the processes leading to a nuclear explosion occur) and developing a system capable of delivering the warhead to its target, such as a ballistic missile, aircraft, or another platform.
While Iran continues to enrich uranium to levels approaching weapons-grade, following the attack on Iran in October 2024, reports indicated that Israel successfully targeted two other pillars of Iran's nuclear program. The first was planetary mixers, which are essential for ballistic missile production. The second, according to a report by journalist Barak Ravid on Axios, was a site in Parchin, where advanced equipment used to create a critical component of a nuclear warhead was reportedly damaged.
