ZOLFAGHAR | Short-Range Ballistic Missile
ZOLFAGHAR | Short-Range Ballistic Missile
ذوالفقار | “Sword of Ali"
The Zolfaghar is named after the legendary double-bladed sword said to have been given to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad) at the Battle of Uhud in 625 AD. The sword is one of the most recognizable symbols in Shia iconography. Naming a ballistic missile after it carries clear religious symbolism and reflects the ideological framing often used by Iran for its strategic weapons.
Technically, the missile represents a major generational step beyond the Shahab-1. It is domestically developed, solid-fueled, and designed for precision strikes.
Key specs:
️Range: 700 km (covers U.S. bases across the Gulf and places Israel within reach)
️Warhead: 500+ kg HE or submunitions
️Fuel: Solid propellant
️CEP: Estimated 50–100 m, making it a precision-capable system
️Launch platform: Road-mobile TEL
Operational significance:
Solid fuel dramatically improves readiness. Unlike liquid-fueled systems such as the Shahab-1, the Zolfaghar does not require fueling at the launch site and can be fired within minutes after deployment. This largely removes the long vulnerability window associated with liquid-fueled missiles.
Vulnerability:
The missile’s road-mobile launch system and quick launch cycle make it difficult to preempt. The trade-off is warhead size: 500 kg is effective but limited compared to heavier ballistic missiles. Submunition variants expand area coverage but reduce penetration against hardened targets.
Combat use:
June 2017 – Iran’s IRGC launched six Zolfaghar missiles from Iranian territory toward ISIS positions in Deir ez-Zor, Syria.
The system has since been used in strikes against Kurdish opposition bases in Iraq and appeared among the missile inventory publicly displayed during Iran’s April 2024 direct strike on Israel.
Source: Telegram "DDGeopolitics"