New analysis shows Iran’s ballistic missiles can reach much further than previously thought, with over 50 countries now technically within range including parts of the UK.
A chilling new map has unveiled a staggering number of countries that Iran’s missiles could potentially target, following the revelation of their missiles’ “true” range.
On Saturday, Iran fired two missiles which were reportedly aimed at the joint British-American military base on Diego Garcia island in the Indian Ocean. Neither of the weapons hit their intended target – one was intercepted by anti-missile defences mid-flight, whilst the other seemingly experienced a technical failure and harmlessly plummeted into the ocean.
However, the mere act of targeting the base – some 4,000 kilometres (2,500 miles) from Iran – has compelled defence chiefs to drastically reᴀssess the potential range of Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal.

A spokesperson from the Israeli Defence Force [IDF] has stated that the maximum effective range of Iran’s missiles is now believed to be 2,485 miles. If the IDF’s analysis holds true, a weapon launched from Bakhtaran Missile Base, one of Iran’s most westerly missile launch bases, could potentially reach targets across a large portion of Europe,
With this fresh re-evaluation of Iran’s missile capabilities, a densely-populated stretch of the UK mainland – including cities such as London, Cambridge and Norwich, is now potentially at risk.
Maps have now unveiled the vast number of countries within Iran’s crosshairs. Alongside the UK, most of mainland Europe could at risk. In fact, only Spain and Portugal seem to be out of harm’s way. North-eastern Africa could also be in the firing line, as well as countries like India and Pakistan.

Iranians are now viewing British military ᴀssets as legitimate targets. This follows the Pentagon receiving authorisation to utilise both the Diego Garcia base and RAF Fairford facilities in Gloucestershire for strikes on Iranian “missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Eyal Zamir, the IDF’s Chief of the General Staff, cautioned that the missiles – thought to be Iran’s Khorramshahr-4 type – could unleash a devastating blow on several major European cities: “Their range reaches European capitals – Berlin, Paris and Rome are all within direct threat range.”

Employing a lighter warhead could significantly extend the missiles’ range, Dr Sidharth Kaushal, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Insтιтute (Rusi), told The Times.
He further noted that any potential missile launched towards the UK mainland would not only be greatly limited in payload, but would also have very limited accuracy: “A missile fired over 4,000km likely has a pretty high circular error probable, which means you would need quite a few to strike anything specific. The lighter payload also means that one would be trading impact for range.