By Gloria Ogbonna
Iran sharply escalated its pressure campaign on the eve of renewed U.S.–Iran nuclear negotiations by unveiling what it described as an underground “missile city” housing a newly showcased long-range ballistic missile, while media outlets tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) openly outlined a multi-stage plan for a potential conflict with the United States.
The coordinated display of military capability came as Tehran continues to insist that talks with Washington be limited strictly to its nuclear program—despite simultaneously highlighting ballistic missile systems that U.S. officials have long argued must be central to any meaningful and durable agreement.
Iran’s state-run Press TV reported that the IRGC has deployed its “most advanced long-range ballistic missile,” the Khorramshahr-4 also known as Kheiber inside one of several fortified underground facilities the regime refers to as “missile cities.”
These complexes, carved deep into mountains and reinforced to withstand airstrikes, are presented by Tehran as evidence of both survivability and deterrence.
According to Press TV, the Khorramshahr-4 has a declared range of roughly 2,000 kilometers (about 1,240 miles) and can carry a warhead weighing up to 1,500 kilograms.
Those specifications would place Israel, along with U.S. military bases and allied assets across much of the Middle East, within its claimed strike envelope. Iranian media further asserted that the missile could reach Israel in as little as 10 to 12 minutes, dramatically compressing warning and response times.
IRGC-aligned Fars News Agency expanded on those claims, stating that the missile boasts an accuracy of approximately 30 meters and describing it as “one of the main pillars of Iran’s active deterrence.”
The outlet emphasized that ballistic missiles have become Tehran’s primary strategic tool as its conventional air force continues to lag behind regional rivals and as the regime faces mounting economic and internal pressures.
Fars also highlighted the missile’s reported speed—up to Mach 16 outside the atmosphere and around Mach 8 during re-entry arguing that such velocity is designed to overwhelm or evade modern air-defense systems.
Additional features, including intermediate guidance systems, a reduced radar cross-section, and resistance to electronic warfare, were cited as enhancements intended to significantly increase the missile’s ability to penetrate enemy defenses.
Iranian state media explicitly framed the unveiling as part of a broader doctrinal shift, claiming the IRGC has moved from a largely defensive posture to a more overtly offensive one. That transition, outlets said, carries a “clear message to regional and extra-regional adversaries” about Tehran’s willingness to escalate if challenged.
That message was reinforced by IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency, which published a detailed conceptual outline describing how Iran envisions a future conflict with the United States.
The five-stage framework begins with hypothetical U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, followed by large-scale missile and drone attacks against American bases throughout the region.
Subsequent stages envision coordinated escalation by Iranian proxy forces including Hezbollah in Lebanon, allied militias in Iraq, and the Houthi movement in Yemen alongside cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure and financial systems. The final phase focuses on economic pressure, particularly efforts to disrupt global energy markets by threatening shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.
Tasnim characterized the approach as one of “asymmetric endurance,” arguing that while Iran could not defeat the United States in a conventional war, it could impose sustained military, economic, and political costs high enough to force Washington to reconsider prolonged conflict.
These warnings and missile demonstrations unfolded against a backdrop of visibly heightened U.S. military activity in the region and a series of recent encounters that underscore how quickly tensions can escalate.
Earlier this week, U.S. forces shot down an Iranian drone over the Arabian Sea after what American officials described as unsafe and provocative behavior. Tehran later claimed the drone was conducting a “routine and lawful” mission.
On the same day, IRGC naval forces separately harassed a U.S.-flagged merchant vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz, prompting a response from the U.S. Navy and further raising concerns about maritime security in one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.
U.S. Central Command has continued to stress readiness, releasing footage on Thursday of flight-deck operations aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and emphasizing the carrier’s ability to rapidly generate combat power in response to regional threats.
President Donald Trump addressed the standoff directly during remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, asserting that Iran agreed to negotiate out of fear of American military action. “They’re negotiating now. They don’t want to. They don’t want us to hit them,” Trump said. “You know, we have a big fleet going over to Iran.”
His comments followed a warning the previous day that Iran’s Supreme Leader “should be very worried,” as talks appeared at risk of collapsing amid disputes over their scope and format before ultimately being revived.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed that message on Thursday, reminding Tehran that diplomacy is not Washington’s only option.
“While these negotiations are taking place, I would remind the Iranian regime that the President has many options at his disposal aside from diplomacy, as the Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful military in the history of the world,” she said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has similarly insisted that any agreement must address not only Iran’s nuclear program, but also its ballistic missile arsenal, its regional proxy network, and its human-rights record—conditions Tehran has publicly rejected, maintaining that the talks must focus solely on nuclear issues.
Israeli officials, meanwhile, have privately expressed skepticism that the negotiations in Oman will produce a breakthrough. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that any Iranian attack on Israel would trigger a response “the likes of which has never been seen.”
The convergence of missile-city theatrics, explicit war-planning rhetoric, and revived diplomacy underscores the high stakes surrounding Friday’s meeting.
By unveiling a new ballistic missile and publicly outlining scenarios for regional conflict on the eve of talks, Tehran has sent a message of deterrence and defiance that will loom over the negotiating table in Muscat.
Source Breitbart
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