Longer Range, Wider War: Tehran’s Message to Europe

In a November 10 interview with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated Javan, Esmail Kowsari, a member of Iran’s Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said that “Increasing missile range is not a new issue.” But it is. For decades, Iran deliberately limited the range of its missiles so as not to provoke the Europeans. Statements attributed to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei now call for horizontal escalation of the war. In that context, extending the range of Iran’s missiles is a message to the European Union.

• November 10: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated Javan published an article on changes to Iran’s military doctrine, including an interview with Esmail Kowsari, a member of Iran’s Parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee:
  • Background by Faezeh Sadat Yousefi: “As threats have intensified, the Islamic Republic of Iran has unveiled an increase in the range of its missiles. The move is part of its strategy to develop its deterrence capability. It follows the supreme leader’s statement that threats should be met with an immediate response unrestricted by geography. The development was widely reported in the world media, and some read it as a sign of a change in Tehran’s deterrence doctrine. Iran has also announced several times that if there is another confrontation, it will show some of its advanced equipment and capabilities on the battlefield so that the other side faces a new wave of surprise.”
  • Kowsari said: “Increasing missile range is not a new issue … the armed forces have long taken it into account in their calculations, planning, and strategic considerations, and the necessary studies and measures have already been carried out.”

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