Iran Launches First Long-Range Ballistic Missiles From Warship

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday it has launched long-range ballistic missiles from a warship for the first time.

The announcement came during naval exercises with the IRGC deploying two ballistic missiles from the Shahid Mahdavi warship.

The IRGC claims that the missiles can strike targets up to 1,700 kilometers (1,050 miles) away.

"The IRGC has initiated the firing of ballistic missiles in the Gulf of Oman for the first time," state television reported.

IRGC Chief Hossein Salami stated, "The launch of a long-range ballistic missile from the warship was executed with success."

In a warning on Tuesday, Salami said, "In the event of a naval conflict and our ships being targeted, we will respond with equal or greater force."

Additionally, state television reported that the IRGC conducted a simulation of a surface-to-surface ballistic missile strike on Israel's Palmachim airbase from central Iran. The base serves as a critical facility for F-35 fighter jets in Israel.

The military maneuvers unfold amid heightened regional tensions following the eruption of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7. Iran, which does not recognize Israel, has long opposed it and supported Palestinian terror groups since the 1979 Islamic revolution.