Iran has released new video and images of the long-range ballistic missile attack it carried out in 2017 against ISIS positions. The video shows Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members praying and then counting down to launching numerous missiles.
The video is interesting because it shows the process, from the loading of the missiles on their launcher to the launch process, as well as the drone footage Iran took of the impacts. This missile attack was done from a distance of around 600 km., which showcases Tehran’s ability to use long-range ballistic missiles in precision attacks.
Iran carried out another attack using ballistic missiles against Kurdish dissidents in 2018 and then against US forces in Iraq in January 2020. The attack on US forces targeted bases where they are located and was in retaliation for America’s killing of IRGC Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani.
The Islamic Republic has long threatened Israel and has transferred missiles and missile technology to Hezbollah over the years. It has also reportedly transferred precision-guided munitions to the terrorist group. US media reports indicate that Iran transferred ballistic missiles to Iraq in the fall of 2018 and the fall of 2019.
Iran’s new video shows that on June 19, 2017, IRGC members congregated at the launch sites, reported to be in Kermanshah province and a neighboring area. Rockets of the Zolfaghar type, with a range of some 700 km., were loaded and readied. This type is believed to be built on the model of a Fateh 110 rocket and was unveiled in 2016.
The Zolfaghar uses solid fuel. It is believed that six were fired in 2017. Iran also says the Qiam 1 rocket was used.
This is the same style that was used against the US in January 2020. First tested in 2010, it is based on a Shahab-style rocket with a range of 800 km. Heaver and longer than the Zolfaghar, it is a liquid-fueled weapon. It has a 750 kg. warhead, compared to the one on the Zolfaghar, estimated to weigh 500-600.
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