Iran's New Leader Orders Military To Drop 2,000-Kilometer Missile Limit

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has directed the country's armed forces to respond to any attack without geographical restriction.

The statement, released on October 31, marks a departure from a policy established by his father, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who capped missile range at 2,000 kilometers for years despite military objections. The new directive fuels speculation that Tehran is preparing to strike targets far beyond the Persian Gulf region.

Conservative lawmaker Manuchehr Mottaki said on state television that the next conflict would not be a regional war. He warned that if Iran is attacked, the war will reach Europe. Conservative commentator Ali Qolhaki echoed this view on social media, identifying Great Britain, Italy, Greece, and Germany as likely targets due to their hosting of US military forces.

The semiofficial ISNA news agency reported that the statement signals a redefinition of how far Iran is prepared to strike. The Young Journalists Club, affiliated with state broadcaster IRIB, stated that Iran's target list now includes US bases in 51 countries, from the Middle East to East Asia. Danny Citrinowicz, a fellow at the Atlantic Council, noted that Tehran is preparing for a particularly broad and violent American-Israeli attack.

Not all experts agree that the rhetoric equals a policy shift. Jeremy Binnie, a defense analyst at Janes, suggested the "geographical restriction" might refer to an unwritten agreement with Arab states not to target their territory. He noted that Iran has had the capability to exceed 2,000 kilometers for some time by reducing warhead weight.

Binnie identified the Khorramshahr missile as the most likely candidate for long-range strikes. Unveiled in 2017, the missile is estimated to have a range of 3,000 kilometers when fitted with a 750-kilogram re-entry vehicle. He said the old limit allowed the IRGC to target regional assets without threatening Western Europe, with the exception of Cyprus and some Greek islands.

The most obvious target beyond the previous limit is Diego Garcia, the joint US-British base in the Indian Ocean located nearly 4,000 kilometers from Iran. Britain said Iran attempted to hit the base on March 20, though at least one Iranian official denied the attempt occurred.