Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said his country does not have missiles of 4000-km range.
Asked about the Wall Street Journal quoting unnamed US officials as claiming that Iran fired two missiles at the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, Aragchi said: “We have intentionally kept the range of our missiles below 2,000 kilometres, so we don’t have that capability. We have built that capability in order to defend ourselves against our enemies.”
He added that Iran does not seek confrontation with the West. “We don’t have any hostility against the United States people or Europeans,” he said, citing the limitation as a strategic choice rather than a technical constraint.
Analyst Aadil Brar posted on twitter “Public reporting has generally put Iran’s longest-range ballistic missiles in roughly the 2,000 to 2,500 km band, with systems often cited including the Sejjil, Emad, Ghadr, Shahab-3, and Khorramshahr.”
But strategic analyst Brig. Arun Sahgal wondered if Aragchi would have any idea of the full range of Iran’s missile capabilities given the “mosaic warfare” Iran appears to be fighting. Mosaic warfare is not about going head to head with the enemy, rather it’s a disjointed multi-domain approach with the focus on being agile, fluid and scalable.
It’s about networking simpler, smaller platforms that are diverse and fast moving, such as the drones and missiles Iran is using whether to target Israel or the Gulf states. Used in a coordinated manner, these can catch the enemy off guard and deliver significant advantages.
Sahgal also noted “It appears they have used a little known IRBM system Sejjil. It may be a gift from the Russians. Remember Ukraine syndrome continues – quid pro quo for American assistance to Ukraine against Russia. It is subtle but effective.”
There may be one more explanation: that Aragchi may be right and Iran does not have 4000-km range missiles. In which case, it might be a propaganda effort by the US to build the case for doubling down on Iran. Remember, President Trump is sending more troops and equipment to the Gulf and given the anti-war mood at home, needs to show why he is escalating the war. A lie of this kind could go some way in boosting support for an unpopular war.
