Missiles As A Message: What Irans Barrage Tells The World

India.com

7 hours ago

In the early hours of Friday, June 13, Israel carried out airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities and military sites. These attacks resulted in the deaths of Hossein Salami, head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, and Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, Iran's military chief of staff. In total, 78 people were killed and 320 others were injured, according to Iran's ambassador to the United Nations.
While the United States denied being directly involved in the attacks, a US official confirmed that American forces are assisting Israel by helping to shoot down missiles that Iran launched in response.
World leaders have raised concerns about Israel's recent attacks.
However, their views have differed. France blamed Iran for creating tensions, while Pakistan supported Iran and Stron. gly criticized Israel's actions. On June 13, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Iran was largely responsible for the unrest in the Middle East.
India Urges Peace as SCO Slams Israel's Strikes on Iran
On Saturday, India repeated its earlier stand on the rising tensions between Israel and Iran, saying that it supports dialogue and diplomacy to reduce the conflict. India also urged the international community to work towards peaceful solutions. A day earlier, India had said it was "deeply concerned" about the situation and was closely watching the developments. It had also requested both countries to avoid actions that could worsen the crisis.
Meanwhile, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) released a statement on June 14, strongly criticizing Israel's airstrikes on Iran that took place on June 13. The SCO said it was seriously worried about the growing tension in the Middle East. At present, China is the chair of the SCO.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a major regional group that focuses on economic cooperation, security, and stability. Its member countries include India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran, which officially became a full member in 2023. Together, these nations represent a significant share of the global population and play an important role in shaping regional and international affairs.
Iran Fires Over 200 Missiles at Israel as Casualties Rise
Since Friday night, Iran has launched around 200 missiles and many explosive drones toward Israel, according to Israeli officials. While the Israeli military has not shared exact figures on how many missiles were intercepted or how many slipped through its air defenses, they say that revealing such details could help the enemy.
By Saturday afternoon, the Israeli Prime Minister's office confirmed that 17 locations had been hit. Some of the missiles struck Tel Aviv and nearby areas like Ramat Gan and Rishon LeZion, which are part of central Israel. On Saturday night, more missiles targeted Haifa and surrounding areas in the north.
The missile and drone attacks on Friday and Saturday have resulted in the deaths of at least seven Israeli civilians and have injured more than 200 people, including seven soldiers, according to government sources.
Brigadier General Effie Defrin, the top spokesperson for the Israeli military, said that Israel's air defense system is one of the best in the world, but admitted it is not 100% foolproof.
Iranian Missiles Hit Civilian Areas in Israeli Cities
Many of the missiles launched by Iran have landed inside Israeli cities, and Israel has accused Iran of deliberately targeting civilian areas.
It is still unclear if any key military bases or important infrastructure have been damaged, as officials are not sharing such details—explaining that doing so could benefit the enemy.
Israel is a small country, about the same size as New Jersey in the United States. A large part of the population lives in the densely packed coastal region, where civilian neighborhoods and military bases are often located close to each other.
One of the missiles hit a high-rise apartment building early Saturday. This building is in a lively part of the city, surrounded by cafes, restaurants, and entertainment venues. It also happens to be very close to Israel's main military and government headquarters in Tel Aviv—which is believed to have been the actual target.
This raises an important question: How strong is Iran's military, and how much of a real threat does it pose?
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
The IRGC, or Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was formed in 1979 to protect Iran's Islamic government after the revolution. It is now the most powerful part of Iran's military.
This force plays a key role in the country's defense and controls Iran's ballistic missile program. Recently, some of its top commanders were killed in Israeli attacks.
The IRGC reports directly to Iran's Supreme Leader and is believed to have around 125,000 members, including its own army, navy, and air force. However, some experts think the actual number could be even higher.
The IRGC also controls the Basij, a religious volunteer force that supports the government. The Basij are often used to stop protests and maintain internal control. These volunteers are deeply loyal to the Islamic regime and are known to act quickly against anti-government activities. Analysts say their numbers could run into the millions.
Who are Basij Volunteers?
Basij volunteers are mostly civilians—often students, shopkeepers, or workers—who sign up to serve the Islamic Republic. They are trained to follow orders from the IRGC and are commonly seen at political rallies, in local patrols, or suppressing protests.
The Quds Force is a special unit within the IRGC that focuses on secret missions and military operations outside Iran. It plays a key role in supporting and guiding pro-Iran groups and militias across the Middle East.
The IRGC—labeled a terrorist organization by the United States—aims to expand Iran's influence in the region and promote Tehran's interests.
Back in 1982, the IRGC helped create Hezbollah in Lebanon. This was part of its effort to spread Iran's Islamic Revolution and to fight Israeli troops who had entered Lebanon that year.
Who are the Quds Force?
The Quds Force is like the international wing of the IRGC. They work outside Iran's borders to carry out spy missions, train allied fighters, supply weapons, and build strong relationships with groups that support Iran's goals. They operate mostly in countries like Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.
What can the IRGC do militarily?
The IRGC has its own army, air force, and navy. It also manages Iran's powerful ballistic missile program, which many experts say is the largest in the Middle East.
Iran has used these missiles to strike targets in Syria and northern Iraq, mostly against militant groups.
In 2019, a major drone and missile attack badly damaged the world's largest oil processing plant in Saudi Arabia. The United States, along with European countries and Saudi Arabia, blamed Iran for carrying out that attack.
Iran has denied taking part in the 2019 attack.
The IRGC also has its own intelligence agency and a large supply of traditional weapons. It has shown its military strength through its active role in the wars in Syria and Iraq.
Experts say that Iran has a large number of cruise and ballistic missiles, which can reach targets anywhere in the Middle East.
According to the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Iran has the biggest collection of ballistic missiles in the entire region.
What do we know about Iran's missile range?
In April last year, Iran's semi-official news agency ISNA shared information about some of the country's long-range missiles, which it claimed could hit targets inside Israel.
One of them is the Sejil missile, which can travel at speeds over 10,500 miles per hour and has a range of about 1,550 miles (around 2,500 kilometers).
Another missile, called Kheibar, can hit targets up to 1,240 miles (nearly 2,000 kilometers) away.
The Haj Qasem missile has a slightly shorter range of 870 miles (about 1,400 kilometers).
These missiles give Iran the ability to strike far-off targets across the Middle East.
Iran says its ballistic missiles are meant to defend the country and to strike back if attacked by the U.S., Israel, or other nearby enemies. Iran also insists that it is not trying to develop nuclear weapons.
Earlier, Iran claimed it had built a powerful homemade drone called the Mohajer-10. According to Iranian officials, this drone can fly as far as 1,240 miles (about 2,000 kilometers), stay in the air for up to 24 hours, and carry a load of up to 300 kilograms (about 660 pounds).
In the summer of 2023, Iran announced that it had developed its first homemade hypersonic ballistic missile, according to Iran's official news agency, IRNA.
Hypersonic missiles are extremely fast—they travel at least five times the speed of sound—and follow unpredictable paths, which makes them very hard to detect and stop.
According to the Arms Control Association, a group based in Washington, most of Iran's missile technology is influenced by designs from North Korea and Russia, and Iran has also received some help from China in building its missile systems.
According to Sky News, Iran has several types of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. One example is the Shahab-1, which can travel about 190 miles (around 300 kilometres).
Iran also has cruise missiles, including the Kh-55, which was originally designed to carry nuclear warheads and can fly up to 1,860 miles (around 3,000 kilometres). It is launched from the air.
Another powerful weapon in Iran's arsenal is the Khalid Farzh, an advanced anti-ship missile. It has a range of about 186 miles (roughly 300 kilometres) and can carry a warhead weighing up to 1.1 tonnes. This missile is designed to target large ships and cause serious damage.
How does Iran use other military groups?
Iran supports several armed groups that have carried out attacks on Israel, U.S. interests, and ships in the Red Sea. These actions are in addition to Iran's own direct clashes with Israel, especially after tensions rose following October 7, 2023.
Over the years, Iran has helped build a network of allied groups in the region. These groups call themselves the "Axis of Resistance" and say they are fighting against the influence of Israel and the United States in the Middle East.
This group includes:
Hamas in Palestine, Hezbollah in Lebanon, The Houthi rebels in Yemen,
And several other armed groups in Iraq and Syria.
The most well-known among them is Hezbollah, which was created by Iran's IRGC in 1982 to fight Israeli troops that had invaded Lebanon.
Hezbollah is not just a fighting force—it also plays a big role in Lebanese politics. Many experts believe Hezbollah is even more powerful than the official Lebanese government.
The Houthi movement took control of large parts of Yemen during the country's civil war, which began in 2014. They overthrew the government that was supported by Saudi Arabia—a major rival of Iran in the region.
The Houthis have had close and friendly relations with Iran for many years.
In October 2023, the Houthis announced they were joining the Gaza conflict by launching drones and missiles at Israel. They later began attacking ships in the southern Red Sea as well.
The United States believes that Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) helped the Houthis plan and carry out these attacks. However, Iran has denied any involvement, and the Houthis also claim they are not acting as Iran's proxy.
What do we know about Iran's nuclear capabilities?
For the first time in nearly 20 years, the UN's nuclear watchdog has said that Iran is not following its nuclear agreements. This happened after Iran announced plans to build a new uranium enrichment facility in a secure and hidden location.
In June 2023, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated that Western countries cannot stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
However, he also mentioned that Iran is open to making a deal with the West, as long as it doesn't have to dismantle its nuclear infrastructure.
Despite these statements, Iran continues to deny that it wants to build nuclear weapons, claiming its program is only for peaceful purposes like energy production.