Iran lifts stated missile limit as US sets up task force

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says it has lifted its self-imposed 2,000-kilometer limit on ballistic missile range, while U.S. Central Command is establishing a task force to restrict Iran’s access to weapons and other materials. The announcement does not establish that Iran has missiles capable of exceeding the former limit, and the task force’s practical effect has not been demonstrated.

At a news conference in Tehran, Guard spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said the restriction had been lifted. He did not say whether Iran possessed missiles with greater range, saying the country would demonstrate its capabilities in practice rather than through statements. Iran is not known to have missiles that exceed 2,000 kilometers, a distance that would put parts of Greece and the Balkans, the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant and most of Egypt within reach.

U.S. officials have said technology from Iran’s space program could be repurposed to build intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Guard’s announcement concerns its stated policy on range; it is not evidence of a missile test or a newly demonstrated capability.

Central Command said it is launching Task Force Iron Gate to coordinate with other U.S....