Iran deploys new 'Castle Breaker' missile against US bases in the Middle East
Iran has fired its Kheibar Shekan medium-range ballistic missile at US military sites in Jordan, the UAE and other regional locations as the US-Iran conflict intensifies.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has employed the Kheibar Shekan, a solid-fuel medium-range ballistic missile with a range of about 1,450 km and a payload capacity of 449-590 kg, against US installations in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf locations. The missile, unveiled in 2022 and named after a historic fortified settlement, was launched following a US strike on Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island near Bandar Abbas.
IRGC footage showed hits on a Jordanian jet-maintenance facility and a new command-and-control centre. In turn, US Central Command reported renewed strikes on Iranian sites, and oil prices surged as the Strait of Hormuz again became a flashpoint. The escalation follows a month-long lull in hostilities and reflects Tehran's effort to prove its missile stockpiles remain robust after months of US and Israeli attacks.
Why it matters
The missile exchange raises regional tension and threatens global oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
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