Recently, local media reported that Iran had developed its own intercontinental ballistic missile, the Khorramshahr-5. There is currently no official confirmation, so such statements should be treated with caution.
If Iran has in fact created the Khorramshahr-5, the reported characteristics deserve attention. In particular, it has a range of 12,000 km, a speed of 16 Mach, and a warhead weighing 2 tons. This was reported by Mehr News Agency.
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From Defense Express we would like to add that Iran already possesses the Khorramshahr-4, a medium-range ballistic missile similar in design to an ICBM and the predecessor of the new Khorramshahr-5. Like most modern ICBMs, it features a multiple warhead system, although these are more like submunitions since they lack independent guidance systems.
Khorramshahr-4 is equipped with a warhead containing 20 such submunitions. It detonates at an altitude of 7 km, dispersing submunitions within an 8 km radius. Iran already launched it against Israel in June this year during the 12-day war.
In other words, the previous variant, Khorramshahr-4, resembled modern ICBMs but lacked some typical features, such as guidance systems in each warhead. With a range of around 4,000 km, it did not qualify for the classification change.
It follows that the Khorramshahr-5 will maintain the multiple warhead configuration, making interception in the final stages much more difficult. However, it is quite possible that it has also been equipped with guidance systems for each submunition, allowing a single missile to strike multiple targets simultaneously, and its deployment altitude is expected to increase.
Given the active development of Iran's nuclear program, despite strikes by the U.S. and Israel on nuclear facilities, it is likely that if the Khorramshahr-5 truly exists, it was designed specifically to deliver a nuclear payload to the U.S.
It is worth noting that back in 2015, Iranian officials expressed satisfaction with a 2,000 km strike range targeting Israel and U.S. bases in the Middle East. However, after the 12-day war in June, Iran may have changed its position and is preparing to bomb the U.S. directly if needed.
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