Jane's Defence Weekly and
Center for Strategic and International Studies stated that it is the Iranian version of
North Korea's
Hwasong-10. North Korea sold a version of this missile to Iran under the designation BM-25. The number 25 represents the missile's range of 2,500 km. Iran said it has decreased the missile size over the initial version, reducing the propellant mass and range. Such a range covers targets in
Israel,
Egypt and
Saudi Arabia, and NATO members
Romania,
Bulgaria and
Greece, if fired from Western Iran. The
IISS's Michael Elleman said that Iran today likely can go beyond the original range of 1,000-2,000 kilometers with its Khorramshahr ballistic missile. However, it chose to limit its range by testing with a heavier warhead. Due to the heavy payload, it has the potential to carry nuclear warheads. It is uncertain whether it can carry
multiple nuclear warheads due to its size. The gas output model of the Khorramshahr missile is more like the
Hwasong-12.
Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of
Aerospace Force of the IRGC, said that Khorramshahr is a missile with a
multiple-warhead capability. It has a more advanced engine that uses
hypergolic fuel, which can be stored in tanks for years, shortening the launch preparation time to 12 minutes. The new propellant requires smaller tanks, reducing the motor section to about 13 m, with the warhead adding about 4 m to the missile's length. It has an airframe made of a stronger composite material, and a mid-phase navigation system that enables it to correct its course when outside of the atmosphere, so it is not reliant on terminal guidance that can be disrupted by
electronic warfare systems. ==History==