Iran’s Kheibar Shekan: The Chinese-backed missile posing a new threat to US forces

Cheap, mobile, easily deployable, constantly adapting, and lethally precise… this is how US military officials describe Iran's new ballistic missile, the Kheibar Shekan (pronounced Khey-bar She-kan). While ballistic missiles are relatively easy targets to shoot down (compared to hypersonic missiles) due to their fixed trajectories, several Kheibar Shekan missiles have breached US air defense systems in the Middle East, drawing the attention of US military officials and security analysts.

The destroyer of American bases is named Kheibar Shekan

According to anonymous US officials speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Iran has adapted its military tactics by using Kheibar Shekan ballistic missiles to target American bases across the Middle East, altering flight paths, speeds, and in-flight maneuvers to breach American air defenses. Iran is increasingly relying on these low-cost missiles to penetrate American defenses, employing them as part of complex saturation attacks where they are launched alongside a barrage of cheap drones and fixed-trajectory missiles to confuse American air defense networks. These complex attacks, alongside modifications introduced to the Kheibar Shekan ballistic missiles to make them more lethal and harder to intercept, highlight that Iran is an adaptive adversary. So, what is this Kheibar Shekan ballistic missile that has become the US military's latest headache, and what makes it so lethal?

The Kheibar Shekan ballistic missile… named after Muhammad

The Kheibar Shekan (Khey-bar She-kan), or "Fortress Breaker of Kheibar," draws its name from a Jewish fortress captured by Muslim warriors during the early days of Islam. In 628 AD, Prophet Muhammad himself led a military campaign against Jewish communities residing in the oasis of Khaybar.

The missile has a range of approximately 1,400 to 2,400 km

It is a medium-range ballistic missile unveiled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in 2022. Belonging to the Fateh solid-fuel missile family, it represents one of the most advanced developments in Iran's missile program. According to Iranian claims, the missile boasts a range of roughly 1,400 to 2,400 km. This reach allows it to strike targets across much of the Middle East, including Israel. Furthermore, the missile travels at speeds exceeding 6,000 miles per hour. It carries a 550 kg warhead.

Equipped with a solid-fuel propulsion system

Unlike older Iranian liquid-fueled missiles, the Kheibar Shekan utilizes a solid-fuel propulsion system. This design offers significant advantages: missiles can be stored in a state of readiness for extended periods, require less time for launch preparation, and can be rapidly repositioned after firing. This represents a major advancement, as Iran's older missiles required lengthy fueling operations prior to launch, which in turn made them easier for the US to track and target. However, the Kheibar Shekan can be kept fully fueled and loaded onto trucks or other mobile launch vehicles quickly, making them difficult to target. For modern missile systems, rapid deployment has become a critical operational factor. Even a precision-guided missile has limited utility if its launchers are easy to detect and destroy. Despite these advantages, the US was initially able to shoot them down easily due to their stable, predictable flight trajectories. Standard ballistic missiles travel into the upper atmosphere before plunging back toward a target, typically at hypersonic speeds, but lack the ability to maneuver during their final phase of flight.

The Kheibar Shekan differs and becomes extraordinarily lethal…

According to US military officials, on certain Kheibar Shekan variants, the nose section—which carries the explosive warhead and detaches during the final phase of flight—is equipped with a small engine enabling it to adjust its flight trajectory in the terminal phase as it approaches its target. This terminal-stage maneuvering makes interception by air defense systems significantly harder. Another distinct advantage is its overall cost. The cost ratio between offensive and defensive munitions serves as a major strategic differentiator. While Iran has not officially disclosed the production cost of the Kheibar Shekan, experts believe it is dramatically cheaper than the interceptors used by the US, such as Patriot batteries, THAAD, and the US Navy's SM-6. For instance, an SM-6 interceptor missile can cost around 4 to 5 million US dollars, while a PAC-3 MSE missile for the Patriot system costs approximately 4 to 6 million US dollars per unit. The significantly lower price tag of the Kheibar Shekan creates an "air defense cost-attrition problem," as even a successful interception inflicts greater economic strain on the US due to the higher replacement cost of defense interceptors.

Powered by a Chinese navigation system

Furthermore, according to select reports, the satellite-guided missile now utilizes the Chinese BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BNSS), which enhances its targeting precision. The mobility, rapid deployment, accuracy, terminal-stage maneuverability, and cost-efficiency of the Kheibar Shekan make it a formidable weapon. However, the Iranian strategy of launching them simultaneously alongside dozens of high-speed drones and other ballistic missiles makes missile interception even more challenging.

Iran possesses 2,200 Kheibar Shekan missiles

Iran maintained an inventory of roughly 2,000 to 2,200 Kheibar Shekan missiles prior to the war, and today, following clashes with the US, still retains approximately 1,700 missiles in its arsenal… though other sources contend it holds 2,000 missiles. Additionally, nearly one-third of these Kheibar Shekan missiles have been upgraded with the BeiDou satellite navigation system. Iran "has observed which types of maneuvers are most effective for evading missile defenses." "Every combat usage provides valuable operational data, making this highly beneficial for the Iranian military."

US interceptor missile stockpiles depleted, 50% of Patriots exhausted

Meanwhile, another growing headache for the US is its diminishing inventory of interceptor missiles. In April 2026, a detailed study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated that by then, the US had already expended nearly half of its SM-3 missiles, almost 25% of its SM-6 missiles, 66% of its THAAD interceptor systems, and more than 50% of its pre-war stockpile of Patriot interceptors. This declining inventory of interceptor missiles forces the US to strictly prioritize which incoming missiles to intercept and which to deliberately allow through. US military commanders are constantly selecting which Iranian missiles and explosive-laden drones to engage while allowing certain attacks to pass through defensive shields in a bid to conserve the Pentagon's shrinking munition supply, two senior US officials told NBC News.

Iran holds the advantage

The depletion of American interceptor missile stockpiles and open admissions from US officials confirm that the new Iranian strategy, combined with upgraded missiles like the Kheibar Shekan, makes air defense interception increasingly difficult. This dynamic means Iran will negotiate aggressively for key concessions in ongoing talks with the United States.

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