Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced a significant change in its missile strategy, declaring that future ballistic missile launches will carry warheads weighing at least one ton.

The announcement was made by Brigadier General Majid Mousavi, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, following Wave 33 of Operation True Promise 4, one of the latest missile strikes in the ongoing regional conflict.

Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Forces, Majid Mousavi: From now on, missiles with warheads weighing less than one ton will no longer be launched.

The frequency and scale of launches will increase, and their range will be greater.

At the same time, new launches toward Israel… pic.twitter.com/mM08JsyMPx

— China pulse 🇨🇳 (@Eng_china5) March 9, 2026

The declaration represents a major shift in Iran’s missile doctrine, potentially increasing the destructive capability of each missile launched.

Wave 33 Targets Israel and Gulf Bases

According to Iranian military statements, more than ten Kheibar Shekan ballistic missiles were launched during Wave 33.

Reported targets included:

• Tel Aviv in Israel
• The U.S. Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain

The operation carried the codename “Labbayk ya Khamenei”, which translates to “At Your Service, O Khamenei,” and was presented by Iranian sources as a symbolic pledge of loyalty to Iran’s new Supreme Leader.

The Kheibar Shekan Missile

The Kheibar Shekan is one of Iran’s most advanced medium-range ballistic missiles.

Key characteristics include:

• Range: approximately 1,450 kilometers
• Fuel type: solid fuel for rapid launch readiness
• Launch platform: road-mobile truck launcher
• Guidance: satellite-assisted navigation with maneuverable re-entry vehicle

The missile is designed to launch quickly and execute terminal maneuvers during the final stage of flight, making interception more difficult.

Previously, the missile typically carried warheads weighing between 450 and 600 kilograms.

Warhead Weight Doubled

The new policy announced by the IRGC means future missiles will carry warheads of at least one metric ton, roughly doubling the explosive mass of previous payloads.

Doubling the warhead weight significantly increases:

• The blast radius of the explosion
• The potential damage to infrastructure and targets
• The consequences if missile defense systems fail to intercept incoming threats

Military analysts say heavier warheads can dramatically increase the destructive effect of ballistic missiles, especially when used against urban or strategic targets.

Missile Defense Cost Challenge

The shift also highlights a growing economic challenge in missile defense.

Intercepting ballistic missiles requires expensive defensive systems such as:

• Patriot PAC-3 interceptors
• THAAD missile defense interceptors
• Arrow-3 interceptors used by Israel

Each interceptor missile can cost millions of dollars, meaning defending against even a small number of incoming missiles can quickly become extremely expensive.

If heavier warheads increase the potential damage of each missile, defenders may be forced to launch multiple interceptors per incoming threat to ensure successful interception.

Additional Missiles Displayed

Footage released alongside the announcement also showed Khorramshahr-4 ballistic missiles, another powerful weapon in Iran’s arsenal.

The Khorramshahr-4 is believed to have:

• Range: 2,000–3,000 kilometers
• Warhead weight: up to 1,500–1,800 kilograms
• Liquid-fuel propulsion

These missiles are capable of carrying some of the heaviest conventional warheads in Iran’s missile inventory.

Questions Over Missile Defense Effectiveness

Previous waves of missile attacks during the current conflict reportedly faced interception rates between 70 and 90 percent.

However, those defensive successes were achieved against missiles carrying smaller warheads.

The new escalation raises questions about whether existing missile defense systems can maintain similar interception rates when facing heavier payloads combined with maneuverable re-entry vehicles.

A Strategic and Symbolic Message

Beyond the technical implications, the announcement also carries a political message.

The naming of the operation after Iran’s new Supreme Leader signals the IRGC’s continued alignment with the country’s leadership during the ongoing conflict.

It also suggests that Iran intends to maintain high-intensity missile operations despite sustained airstrikes and international pressure.

A New Phase in the Missile Conflict

The decision to deploy heavier warheads could mark a new phase in the regional missile confrontation.

As missile technology and defensive systems evolve, the conflict increasingly reflects a broader strategic competition between offensive missile capabilities and defensive interception systems.

How both sides adapt to this shift may play a critical role in shaping the next stage of the conflict.