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How Long Does It Take For Iran's Ballistic Missiles To Reach Israel? The Weapon Explained
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Iran to Israel in 12 minutes: Ballistic missiles travel at extremely high speeds, and can carry conventional or nuclear warheads
As Israel launched its Operation Rising Lion on Iran's nuclear and military sites, the latter fought back firing hundreds of ballistic missiles.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday said that so far, Iran had fired 150 ballistic missiles at Israel in two barrages, The Times of Israel stated. Iran also used a newly developed ballistic missile named after former General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed on US President Donald Trump's orders in 2020, on Saturday.
Ballistic missiles are projectiles that follow a ballistic trajectory to deliver one or more warheads to a predetermined target. They are powered and guided during the initial phase of flight, but then follow a free-fall path under the influence of gravity for most of their journey.
HOW DOES A BALLISTIC MISSILE TRAVEL?
The missile has three main phases:
Boost phase: During this, the missile is launched using powerful rocket engines. It ascends rapidly, usually reaching the edge of space. This phase lasts a few minutes. The missile is guided while the engines are firing.
Midcourse phase: After the engines shut off, the missile coasts through space. It follows a curved, arcing path — like a thrown ball. If equipped with MIRVs, multiple warheads are released here. This is the longest phase (can last up to 20 minutes for ICBMs).
Terminal phase: The warhead re-enters the atmosphere. Gravity pulls them down at extreme speeds. The missile is no longer powered — it's just falling, guided by its momentum. This phase takes less than a minute.
WHAT DOES IT CARRY?
A ballistic missile can carry conventional or nuclear warheads. Some are equipped with Multiple Independently targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs), allowing one missile to hit multiple targets.
HOW ARE THEY LAUNCHED?
Ballistic missiles travel at extremely high speeds, measured in Mach which is equivalent to the speed of sound. ICBMs can exceed Mach 20. Shorter-range ballistic missiles reach supersonic speeds (faster than Mach 1, or about 1,225km/h or 761 miles per hour), while others, usually longer-range missiles, can travel at hypersonic speeds – greater than Mach 5 (6,125km/h or 3,806mph)
HOW IS A BALLISTIC MISSILE DIFFERENT FROM CRUISE OR DRONES?
A ballistic missile is launched into the upper atmosphere and follows a high, arcing path under the influence of gravity, reaching very high speeds and typically used for long-range or strategic targets. A cruise missile flies at low altitudes like an unmanned aircraft, is guided throughout its flight, and is designed for precision strikes over medium to long distances. A drone, or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is remotely or autonomously controlled, usually slower, and used for surveillance or targeted attacks, often with the ability to loiter over an area before striking.
HOW LONG DOES A MISSILE TAKE TO REACH ISRAEL FROM IRAN?
Ballistic Missiles: Approximately 12 minutes. These missiles follow a high-velocity, arcing trajectory and are among Iran's most potent delivery systems.
Cruise Missiles: Around 2 hours. They travel at subsonic speeds and can be launched from various platforms, including land-based sites and aircraft.
Drones: Approximately 9 hours. Iran has developed long-range drones capable of carrying out surveillance and strike missions over extended distances.
HYPERSONIC MISSILES: A NEW THREAT
Iran has also developed hypersonic missiles, such as the Fattah-1, which are capable of reaching speeds between Mach 13 and Mach 15 (approximately 16,000 to 18,500 km/h). With a reported range of 1,400 km, these missiles can reach Israel in under 7 minutes, making them challenging targets for interception systems like the Iron Dome.
CAN THEY BE INTERCEPTED?
Ballistic missiles may vary in range, but all operate on the same basic principle. Since ballistic missiles travel through the air for a significant duration, radar systems can detect their launch early. This allows for the calculation of their likely impact point, enabling the launch of anti-ballistic missiles to intercept them mid-flight. When a ballistic missile begins its descent, it drops like a stone under the influence of gravity, with none of its rocket motors active for manoeuvring. This makes it impossible to spoof or divert. However, it can still be intercepted using a well-timed anti-ballistic missile.
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The speed of a hypersonic missile, which can reach around 6173 kilometres per hour, makes interception nearly impossible with existing systems. The aerial distance between Israel and Iran is approximately 2,000 kilometers. Some missiles can travel at speeds up to Mach 10—ten times the speed of sound—posing a significant challenge to air defence systems. Intercepting a hypersonic missile would require either a hypersonic air defence system or a faster interceptor missile capable of speeds between 10 and 25 Mach, neither of which are currently available. A single supersonic interceptor missile is insufficient to engage targets moving at hypersonic speeds.
With Inputs From Agencies
About the Author
Manjiri Joshi
At the news desk for 17 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing special copies ...Read More
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tags :
israel iran Israel Iran tension
Location :
New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
June 17, 2025, 17:18 IST
News explainers How Long Does It Take For Iran's Ballistic Missiles To Reach Israel? The Weapon Explained
