Attack on US military base reveals Iran's air combat capabilities

Location of 2 US bases in Iraq attacked by Iranian missiles Photo: CNBC

The missile attack on a US military base in Iraq was Iran's first response to the killing of Major General Qassem Soleimani in a US airstrike. It also marked the first time Iran has directly attacked state-level targets in another country without using proxy forces since the 1988 Iran-Iraq War.

Although the US has not yet reported any casualties, the attack showed a clear improvement in Iran’s ballistic missile system, thereby enhancing the country’s air combat capabilities. This assessment is further reinforced when linked to the September 2019 precision attack by pro-Iranian forces on an oil production facility in Saudi Arabia.

According to Dr. Fabian Hinz of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, the attacks show that Iran has made a huge step forward, from developing missiles as a political and psychological tool to a weapon with real combat capabilities. This step could create an important balance change in Iran's relations with other countries.

A US defense intelligence official also confirmed that Iran has successfully developed short- and medium-range missiles that can carry nuclear warheads and are capable of accurately attacking targets.

Some missile models publicly displayed by Iran. Photo: AFP

In the early 1980s, the most sophisticated missiles Iran had were Soviet-developed Scud versions with limited range and low accuracy. But today, Iran is believed to have one of the largest ballistic missile arsenals in the world, with short-range precision of about 3,000 kilometers. The range in the missile attack on the Iraqi military base this morning was about 1,600 kilometers.