- Iran said it is prepared to respond immediately and powerfully to any US aggression in the region
- Iran threatened to target US bases in the Gulf but not attack neighbouring countries
- It has around 2,000 midrange ballistic missiles capable of striking US bases across the Middle East
Amid threats of a war with the US, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ruled out the fact that Tehran could ever give up enrichment of uranium in its negotiations with Washington and also said that the military deployment in the region "does not scare us".
After US President Donald Trump threatened Iran and said that a "massive armada" was "moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose" towards Iran, Araghchi said that Tehran was ready "with their fingers on the trigger" to "immediately and powerfully respond" to any aggression.
On Saturday, Araghchi warned that Iran will target US bases in the Gulf if America launches an attack. "It would not be possible to attack American soil, but we will target their bases in the region," Araghchi told Al Jazeera.
"We will not attack neighbouring countries; rather, we will target US bases stationed in them. There is a big difference between the two," he added.
Iranian clergymen watch a Shahab-3 long-range ballistic missile fird by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the desert outside the holy city of Qom, 02 November 2006
Photo Credit: AFP
Last year Iran unleashed around 500 missiles on Israel, although they did not damage much. However, the US military is taking Iran's missile threat seriously.
Per the Wall Street Journal, Iran has an estimated 2,000 midrange ballistic missiles that can attack across the region. It also has short-range missiles that can reach US bases in the Gulf.
"In the absence of any meaningful air force and air defences and with decimated allies and nuclear capabilities, Iran's ballistic missiles now constitute the backbone of Iran's deterrence," Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran Program at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, told the Washington Post. "They are like a Swiss Army knife for the regime – for coercion, defence and punishment all at once."
A long-range Qadr ballistic missile is launched in the Alborz mountain range in northern Iran on March 9, 2016
Photo Credit: AFP
Here are major US bases and infrastructure across the Middle East that Iran's main midrange ballistic missiles can reach.
Missile: The Khorramshahr is considered Iran's most powerful and advanced liquid-fuelled missile. It has an "ultra-heavy" warhead that can reach ranges of 2,000 kilometres. This range places all of Israel, numerous US military bases across the Middle East, and parts of southeastern Europe within their strike radius.
Bases it can reach: Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, US Naval Support Activity (NSA) in Bahrain and other bases in Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Missile: The Sejjil medium-range ballistic missile can also reach ranges of 2,000 and is capable of reaching targets across the Middle East, including Israel, and parts of southeastern Europe.
Bases it can reach: Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, US Naval Support Activity (NSA) in Bahrain, multiple facilities including Camp Arifjan and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, and other significant US assets in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Turkey.
Missile: The Emad and Ghadr-1 are advanced medium-range ballistic missiles and can reach ranges of 1,700 kilometres.
Bases it can reach: Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, US Naval Support Activity (NSA) in Bahrain, multiple facilities including Camp Arifjan and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, Al Dhafra Air Base in UAE, Incirlik Air Base in Turkey and bases in Jordan and Syria.
Missile: The Fattah-1, Haj Qasem, and Kheibar Shekan are prominent members of Iran's ballistic missile arsenal, primarily developed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with ranges of 1,400 kilometres.
Bases it can reach: Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Ali Al Salem and Ahmed Al Jaber Air Bases in Kuwait, Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, US Naval Support Activity (NSA) in Bahrain, Al Dhafra Air Base in UAE, and bases in Jordan and Syria.
Missile: The Dezful is an Iranian medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) with a range of approximately 1,000 kilometres.
Bases it can reach: Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Ain al-Assad Air Base in Iraq, Camp Arifjan and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, US Naval Support Activity (NSA) in Bahrain, Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, and locations in eastern Saudi Arabia such as Prince Sultan Air Base.
The majority of US bases in the Gulf are within the range of at least one type of Iranian ballistic missile.
Read | Is US Going To Attack Iran? What We Know So Far
The US military buildup in the region follows Iran's crackdown on anti-government protests that began in late December, sparked by economic grievances. The authorities in Iran have acknowledged that 3,117 people were killed in the recent protests, publishing on Sunday a list of 2,986 names, most of whom they say were members of the security forces and innocent bystanders.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which has kept a running toll since the onset of the protests, says it has verified 6,961 deaths, mostly protesters, and has another 11,630 cases under investigation.
