A senior Iranian lawmaker declared that Iran now possesses the capability to strike targets across the globe - including the United States and Canada - using advanced long-range missiles, which he claimed are capable of inflicting devastation equivalent to nuclear weaponry.
In an interview published July 27 on the Iranian website Tahririeh.com, Iranian MP Abolfazl Zohrevand, a member of the Majles National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, warned that Iran’s enhanced Khorramshahr-5 missile system serves as a powerful deterrent, capable of causing mass destruction. His remarks were translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
“When we say that the Khorramshahr-5 [missile] has been upgraded, and has a range of 12,000 km, a velocity of several Machs, and a 2-ton payload, and that it can hit a target with precision - do you know what this means? It means that the kind of [damage] normally caused by 2-3 nuclear bombs could also be achieved with 10 Khorramshahr-5 missiles. This is deterrence. If the U.S. or Canada or any other country plans to attack you, you can strike them back, [on their soil],” Zohrevand said.
He asserted that the ongoing hostility between Iran and the United States cannot be resolved through diplomacy, warning instead of an inevitable escalation unless one side is ultimately destroyed.
“The conflict between Iran and the United States will not be resolved. Either we remain in deterrence mode, with both sides making progress until an Armageddon-scale war erupts, or one of the sides is disintegrated, divided into many parts, and wiped out. This is what the Americans are currently pursuing, because they understand [the situation] and we do not. They know that if Iran continues this path, they can forget about controlling the world. They would not even be able to control the United States,” he said.
Zohrevand maintained that the only path forward for Iran is continued growth and expansion across all sectors to the point where it becomes untouchable.
“The only way to resolve the conflict between Iran and the United States is for Iran to grow continuously and achieve full development in all sectors, to the point where the other side would not even dare think ill of Iran,” he concluded.
Iran often touts its military accomplishments, though it is often difficult to verify the veracity of its claims.
In March, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stationed advanced missile systems on three key islands in the Gulf, claiming they can strike “enemy bases, vessels, and assets” in the region.
Earlier this year, Iran unveiled a new ballistic missile, claiming it has a range of 1,700 kilometers. The missile, named Etemad—meaning "trust" in Persian—was showcased at a ceremony in Tehran attended by President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The unveiling came just one day after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy revealed a new underground missile facility along the country’s southern coast.
The facility, whose exact location was not disclosed, houses missile systems stored "hundreds of meters underground" and capable of being deployed swiftly, claimed Iranian media.
The Islamic Republic has also claimed it has equipped its drones with domestically-produced missiles incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) technology.