Iran has been deploying Kheibar Shekan missiles in strikes against US assets across the Middle East, using weapons that military experts describe as cheap, mobile and accurate, with a range of at least 1,400 kilometers. The solid-fuel, medium-range missiles represent a significant tactical evolution in Tehran's arsenal, allowing the regime to keep weapons fueled and loaded quickly onto trucks for launching — a capability that makes it far easier to evade warplanes targeting launch sites.
The Kheibar Shekan differs fundamentally from older Iranian missiles that require prelaunch fueling, a lengthy process that exposes launch sites to detection and destruction. The new missiles are also harder to intercept because they have higher maneuverability. Some variants have small engines in the nose section that carry the explosive warhead and detach during the final phase of flight, allowing the missile to adjust direction as it approaches its target at about 10,000 kilometers per hour.
The Threat Picture
Iran is combining Kheibar Shekan launches with high-speed attack drones and less sophisticated missiles, targeting radars supporting air defenses across the region and housing areas for US troops at bases across the Middle East. US officials said Iran has been using different flight paths, maneuvers and speeds to confuse US defenses. While the US and its allies have shot down most of the Kheibar Shekans throughout the war, one US official said some have gotten through.
Army Gen. Joseph Votel, who has led US Central Command, said, "I think what it tells us is Iran is paying attention, and they're learning, and they're looking at ways that they can get at us." He added, "This is a military that has a well-developed drone capability; it's had a missile program, a rocket program for a long period of time. They've got a lot of expertise in this area."
Fabian Hinz, an independent missile expert, said Iran likely studied previous launches in order to maximize their chances of their missiles reaching their targets. Hinz also said, "Iran has seen what types of maneuvers are the most effective ones for overcoming missile defense. Every single combat use gives you some sort of data, so that's very useful for the Iranians."
The Cost Asymmetry
Iran hasn't disclosed the cost of a Kheibar Shekan, but analysts told the Wall Street Journal that they are far cheaper than US and Israeli interceptors used to stop them, at a cost between $2 million and $15 million, depending on the system. This cost asymmetry creates a strategic problem for defenders: Tehran can afford to launch salvos that deplete expensive defensive systems, forcing difficult calculations about which threats to engage.
Israel said it shot most of the Kheibar Shekans fired at it by Iran, which claimed it targeted the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as another attack with the missiles last month.
The Human Toll
The Jerusalem Post said Iran retaliated by firing across the Middle East at Gulf nations and US military bases in the region. It said 39 IDF soldiers and 23 civilians have been killed, and at least 7,693 more injured in ballistic missile attacks across Israel since February 28. It also said 18 US soldiers were killed, according to CENTCOM.
Israel and the US launched Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury on February 28, with the stated aim of creating conditions for regime change. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed by an Israeli strike on a Tehran bunker, and Iran's defense minister and several IRGC generals were also killed in the largest-ever aerial attack by the IAF. A ceasefire deal was announced on April 7 and went into effect on April 8.
Why This Matters:
Iran's missile advances reveal a regime that hasn't been deterred by the death of its supreme leader or the decimation of its military leadership. The Kheibar Shekan's combination of mobility, accuracy and cost-effectiveness creates a sustained threat to US forces and regional allies that won't disappear with a ceasefire. Tehran's willingness to target American troops directly — killing 18 soldiers according to CENTCOM — demonstrates that Iranian hardliners view confrontation with Washington as strategically necessary, not optional. The cost asymmetry between Iranian missiles and Western interceptors means defenders face an unsustainable economic equation if Iran chooses to launch sustained barrages. And the regime's ability to learn from each strike, refining flight paths and maneuvers to evade defenses, suggests Iran is treating this conflict as a live-fire laboratory for future confrontations. The ceasefire that went into effect on April 8 hasn't resolved the underlying strategic competition — it's merely paused it.