Iran’s Future Missile Arsenal
A recent report from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) indicates that Iran may develop a fleet of up to 60 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) by the year 2035. This projection supports President Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense initiative.
The report highlights that Iran currently has no deployed ICBMs. However, it is anticipated that by 2035, the nation will possess more long-range missiles than North Korea, which is expected to have around 50 ICBMs during the same period.
The DIA warns that missile threats to the U.S. homeland are likely to increase in both scale and sophistication over the next decade. North Korea has already tested ballistic missiles capable of reaching U.S. territory, while Iran possesses space launch vehicles that could be adapted for military use if it chooses to pursue an ICBM capability.
As of now, Iran claims to have the most extensive and varied missile systems in the Middle East, featuring seven types of short-range ballistic missiles and eight types of medium-range missiles. The DIA notes that many of these systems have variants capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, an expert on Iran from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, emphasizes that improvements in missile precision, range, mobility, warhead design, and survivability suggest a growing long-range strike capability for Iran—a country recognized as a leading state sponsor of terrorism.
