President Trump has threatened to bomb Iran in a manner “the likes of which they have never seen before” unless a new nuclear deal is agreed. Here’s why such bullying tactics aren’t a good idea when it comes to Iran. President Trump has threatened to bomb Iran in a manner “the likes of which they have never seen before” unless a new nuclear deal is agreed. The US has over 60 bases, garrisons and shared facilities dotting the Middle East, from Naval Support Activity Bahrain (home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet) and Al Udeid Air Base (CENTCOM’s forward HQ), to other naval, air and ground facilities in the Gulf, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Turkiye.
In the event of war, all would be in range of Iran’s missiles and drones.
Ballistic Firepower
Qiam-1/2: 800-1,000 km range, 750 kg warhead
Haj Qasem: 1,400 km range, 500 kg warhead
Kheibar Shekan: 1,450 km range, 500 kg warhead
Emad: 2,000 km range, 750 kg payload
Ghadr-110: 1,600-2,000 km range, 1,000 kg payload
Khorramshahr: 2,000 km range, 1,800 kg payload, MIRV-enabled
Ground-Based Cruise Capabilities
Abu Mahdi: 1,000 km range, 410 kg warhead
Paveh: 1,650 km range, payload unknown
Soumar: Precision strike missile with 2,500-3,000 km range, 410-700 kg payload
Long-Range Drones
Kaman-12: 1,000 km range, 100 kg payload
Shahed 129: 1,700 km range, armed with four Sadid-1 precision missiles
Mohajer-6: 2,400 km range, carries precision-guided munitions
Shahed 149: 2,500 km range, 13-bomb payload up to 500 kg
Besides raw firepower, Iran’s potential also comes down to two other factors: geography and resolve.
Permanent access to the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman coastlines means that in wartime, Iran can dominate the waters around the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic chokepoint through which 30% of the world’s oil trade passes.
The Zagros Mountain Range hugging the country’s southwest provides a natural barrier difficult for enemies to penetrate, with many underground missile bases and air defense sites situated at hardened mountainous facilities.
Iran has also shown repeatedly that it will not allow aggression to stand, whether it comes to US spy drones violating airspace, or assassination attacks targeting its commanders. Iran will not hesitate to retaliate against any aggressor, no matter how powerful.