Iran has developed a cruise missile with an effective range of 1,650 kilometers, a development that will intensify the concern of the West, which has increasingly denounced Russia’s use of Iranian UAVs in the war in Ukraine and, more generally, Tehran’s material support for Moscow.

At the same time, the head of the aerospace force of the Revolutionary Guards, speaking on Iranian state television, repeated the threat that Iran would “revenge” the death of its top officer Qassem Soleimani, stating “we seek to kill (former US President Donald ) Trump”.

“The cruise missile we developed – named Paveh – has a range of 1,650 kilometers and was added to the missile arsenal of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said Amirali Khazizadeh.

“God willing, we intend to kill Trump. (Former US Secretary of State Mike) Pompeo and the top commanders who ordered (Soleimani’s death) must be killed,” Amirali Khazizadeh insisted in the same interview.

Iran’s political and military leadership has repeatedly vowed to avenge the death of General Soleimani, the former leader of the Quds Force (“Jerusalem”) of the Revolutionary Guards.

Iran is expanding its missile development program, especially ballistic missiles, despite opposition and strong concern from the US and European countries. Tehran objects that this program is defensive and deterrent in nature.

Iran’s government admits that it supplied Russia with UAVs, but notes that it did so before the war in Ukraine broke out. The Russian military, according to the Ukrainian government and its Western allies, has been using Iranian-made remote-controlled drones to target the electricity generation and distribution network and other strategically important civilian infrastructure in recent months.

In November, the US Pentagon expressed skepticism when Iranian media reported, citing Admiral Khazizadeh, that the Islamic Republic had developed a hypersonic ballistic missile.