Iran vows ‘astonishing’ strikes and lifts missile-range limit as US targets land routes
Iran has lifted its self-imposed 2,000-kilometer ballistic missile-range restriction and threatened new weapons that would astonish the entire world following the U.S. launch of Task Force Iron Gate targeting Tehran's weapons shipments.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed Iran was abandoning its previous 2,000-kilometer ballistic missile-range restriction, which had covered the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, most of Egypt and parts of Greece and the Balkans. The move came within hours of the U.S. military establishing Task Force Iron Gate to target Iran's weapons shipments and illicit trade across land borders and the Caspian Sea.
Iran's new weapons capabilities
IRGC spokesperson Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi warned Iran was developing new weapons capable of delivering devastating blows in another confrontation with the U.S. and Israel. There are surprises that will be unveiled and deployed on the battlefield if a third wave of confrontation with the enemy erupts. These surprises will astonish the entire world, Mohebbi said during a news conference in Tehran.
If they once again miscalculate, or if the Zionists, in pursuit of their own interests, lead the criminal United States into another miscalculation, they should know that Iran's next blows will be even harder and will leave them crippled for years to come.
US task force and Iran's response
U.S. Central Command established the new initiative to further constrain Iran's ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and replenish their military, according to Adm. Brad Cooper. Behnam Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies noted this could lead to targeted strikes against facilitators and political pressure on bordering states.
Iran quickly dismissed the task force as wordplay, claiming Tehran had already coordinated with neighboring countries to withstand additional pressure. Mohebbi also claimed Iran was preparing to unveil new underground missile facilities described as missile cities to continue weapons production during wartime.
Regional tensions and border disputes
The warnings come as Washington intensified pressure on Iran's regional trade routes, particularly its land crossings with Iraq. According to the Institute for the Study of War, Iraq has closed only one border crossing with Iran despite American pressure to shut down most crossings. The U.S. Treasury has pressed Iraq to close all border crossings except for two.
Iranian Ambassador to Iraq Mohammad Kazem al-Sadegh, reportedly a member of the IRGC's Quds Force, has been pressuring tribal leaders in Iraq's Maysan province to push for reopening the al-Shayeb crossing. ISW assessed that Baghdad's limited response reflects efforts to balance its relationship with Washington against Iranian-backed political factions.
Related
