In an extensive interview published Tuesday by Iran’s Asr Iran website, Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, revealed that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has recently lifted the long-standing limit on the range of Iran’s missile program.
According to Ardestani, Iran will now extend the range of its missiles “as it sees fit” and will not engage in any negotiations that could restrict its missile development. “In the past, our missiles were limited to around 2,200 kilometers for certain reasons,” he explained. “But those limits have now been removed. When Americans attack us, imposing range restrictions is a sign of weakness. Our main strength lies in missiles, and we must enhance it without constraints.”
Ardestani, a conservative representative from Isfahan Province, emphasized that while Iran will not negotiate over its missile program, it might consider nuclear-related discussions within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), “as long as there are no excessive demands such as zero enrichment.”
The issue of expanding missile range has been on Tehran’s agenda even before last June’s escalation. In November 2024, Tabnak quoted Kamal Kharrazi, head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, saying: “Everyone recognizes Iran’s missile power. The only limitation has been range, which was meant to respect Western and European sensitivities. But if they ignore ours, there’s no reason we should respect theirs. Thus, it’s possible Iran will increase its missile range.”