Iran Unveils New ‘Qassem Baseer’ Ballistic Missile Amid Regional Tensions

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Forces unveiled a new medium-range ballistic missile on Sunday, in a move likely to raise further concerns in Western capitals amid escalating tensions across the Middle East. The missile, named the 'Qassem Baseer,' reportedly has a range of 1,200 kilometers and is capable of maneuvering without reliance on GPS, according to Iranian defense officials.

In a statement issued by the Iranian Ministry of Defense, officials said the Qassem Baseer was developed based on lessons learned from Iran’s missile strikes on Israel last year—known as Operation True Promise 1 and 2. The missile is said to incorporate advanced countermeasures to electronic jamming and is claimed to have a targeting accuracy within one meter. Iranian officials added that, based on their assessments, only 5% of these missiles could be intercepted by Israeli air defense systems.

The missile’s unveiling comes amid continued stagnation in U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations and increasing threats from the Trump Administration. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently issued warnings to Tehran over its alleged support for Yemen’s Ansar-Allah movement, also known in the West as the Houthis.

On Sunday morning, Ansar-Allah launched a missile strike that hit Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, injuring seven people and prompting renewed scrutiny of Iran’s role in arming the group. Despite the deployment of U.S.-supplied THAAD missile defense systems, the strike penetrated Israeli defenses, leading Israeli officials to place the blame on Iran, due to their claims that Ansar-Allah is a proxy force for Tehran.

In response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement later on Sunday rejecting claims that Ansar-Allah acts as a proxy for Tehran. “The Yemenis’ support for Palestine is an independent decision, and attributing it to Iran is a misleading claim,” the ministry stated.

The announcement of the Qassem Basser missile highlights the growing military capability of Washington’s adversaries at a time of great global uncertainty.