Engineering:Qassem Bassir

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Short description: Iranian ballistic missile
Qassem Bassir
TypeMedium-range ballistic missile
Place of originIran
Service history
Used byIran
Production history
DesignerIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force
ManufacturerMinistry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (Iran)
Produced2025
Specifications
PropellantTwo-stage solid fuel
Guidance
system
Inertial navigation + electro-optical/infrared terminal seeker
Launch
platform
Road-mobile TEL

The Qassem Bassir (also transliterated Qasem or Ghasem Bassir) missile is an Iranian medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) unveiled in May 2025.[1] With a solid-fueled, two-stage system, it is presented as an improved variant of Iran’s Haj Qassem series, named after Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.[2][3] Iranian officials state the Qassem Bassir has a range of about 1,200 km, and features enhanced guidance and countermeasure resistance.[1] The missile was revealed by Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh on Iranian state television on 4 May 2025,[1] and is assessed to be the most advanced missile in Iran's arsenal.[4]

Development

The Qassem Bassir emerged from Iran’s ongoing missile program development. It is explicitly an upgrade of the "Shahid Haj Qassem" medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) first unveiled in 2020 (with a longer advertised 1,400 km range).[5] According to Institute for the Study of War, the Qassem Basir was designed to address lessons learned from Iran’s April and October 2024 missile attacks on Israel, where US and Israeli ballistic missile defense systems (THAAD and Arrow respectively) proved largely effective against Iranian missiles.[6]

Design and technical characteristics

Estimates from Iranian sources suggest the Qassem Bassir re-enters the atmosphere at speeds up to ~Mach 11 and impacts at about Mach 5, classifying it as hypersonic at terminal phase.[7]

Guidance system

The Qassem Bassir’s guidance system combines inertial navigation with an advanced electro-optical sensor for the terminal phase. According to the Iranian Defense Ministry, it carries a thermal imaging (Infrared) camera that allows the missile to visually identify and home in on designated targets by their heat signatures,[7] this means it can attempt to "see" its target and maneuver toward it without relying on any satellite GPS signal.[8] Iranian reports claim that during testing the Qassem Bassir flew under intense jamming, yet its autonomous optical seeker and onboard inertial units maintained trajectory.[8] Observers note this is the first Iranian MRBM reported to use an image-based (infrared/optical) terminal seeker.[8] In practice, this guidance scheme should make the Qassem Bassir largely immune to radio-frequency jamming; as one analyst explained, by matching real-time images to stored terrain or target shapes, the missile avoids any external signals that an enemy could block.[8] Iran claims that the Qassem Bassir can achieve near "meter-level" accuracy against selected targets (e.g. airfield facilities).[7][8]

Missile defense evasion

During reentry, the missile's fins reportedly allow the warhead to perform course changes at supersonic speed[7]

Independent analysts caution that such figures likely include elements of propaganda.[9] Others, such as Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at King’s College London, are skeptical about Iran's claims about the new missile, stating that they need to be taken with a "pinch of salt,”, further stating about Iran that "they claim a lot" in order to retain a deterrent posture in anticipation of a rise in military tensions between Iran and the US.[9]

Parameter Reported figure/feature Reported advantage
Range ~1,200 km[citation needed](Reportedly, a 3000 km range model based on North Korean design is under development)[10]
Speed
Impact speed Mach 5[7]
Length ≈ 11 m[citation needed]
Launch mass ≈ 7 t[citation needed]
Launch vehicle Mobile transporter-erector-launchers (TELs)[citation needed]
Warhead ~500 kg (unitary or modular)[citation needed]
Fuel Solid[citation needed]
Propulsion Two‑stage solid‑fuel motor[citation needed]
Guidance system Thermal Imaging Sensor, Electro-optical imaging and onboard inertial measurement units (IMU)[citation needed]as well as Electronic Protective Measures (EPM) Improved accuracy through identification of targets by heat signature during terminal flight phase,[11] not dependent on satellite navigation systems (GPS)[citation needed] though reportedly retains satellite signal correction capabilities.[10] The EPM protects the missile's guidance system from electronic interference and jamming.[11]

Test firing and unveiling

According to the Iranian Ministry of Defense, the Qassem Bassir missile was successfully test-fired on 16–17 April 2025, striking a target over 1,200 km away.[12] On 4 May 2025, the missile’s formal unveiling took place, while US-Iran talks were on hold after a pause requested by Oman’s foreign minister.[13] In public statements, Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and media outlets stressed that Bassir’s enhancements in guidance and maneuverability address the deficiencies of earlier missiles,[14][12][8] while stating that US bases in the region would be legitimate targets if military tensions in the area were to increase.[13][14][15][16]

See also

  • Haj Qassem
  • Defense industry of Iran
  • List of military equipment manufactured in Iran
  • Iran's ballistic missiles program
  • List of equipment of the Iranian Army
  • 2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Iran Unveils Qasem Basir Ballistic Missile With Optical Guidance". https://www.defensemirror.com/news/39428. 
  2. ↑ "Iran unveils missiles with increased range" (in en). 2020-08-20. https://www.france24.com/en/20200820-iran-unveils-missiles-with-increased-range. 
  3. ↑ "Iran unveils new ballistic missile, vows to respond to Israeli aggression" (in en). 2025-05-05. https://www.intellinews.com/iran-unveils-new-ballistic-missile-vows-to-respond-to-israeli-aggression-379382/?source=iran. 
  4. ↑ https://sfg.media/en/a/iran-advanced-missiles-reserve-conflict-stage/
  5. ↑ RFE/RL. "Iran Tests Missile It Claims Can Reach Israel, Get Past US Defenses" (in en). RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-missile-israel-thaad/33405238.html. 
  6. ↑ https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-update-may-5-2025/
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 "Iran unveils new ballistic missile, vows to respond to Israeli aggression" (in en). 2025-05-05. https://www.intellinews.com/iran-unveils-new-ballistic-missile-vows-to-respond-to-israeli-aggression-379382/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 RFE/RL. "Iran Tests Missile It Claims Can Reach Israel, Get Past US Defenses" (in en). RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-missile-israel-thaad/33405238.html. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Helou, Agnes (2025-05-05). "Iran unveils its latest ballistic missile as Netanyahu warns Houthis' 'patron'" (in en-US). https://breakingdefense.com/2025/05/iran-unveils-its-latest-ballistic-missile-as-netanyahu-warns-houthis-patron/. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Iran Unveils Qasem Basir Ballistic Missile With Optical Guidance". https://www.defensemirror.com/news/39428/Iran_Unveils_Qasem_Basir_Ballistic_Missile_With_Optical_Guidance. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Institute for the Study of War" (in en). https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-may-5-2025. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Iran Unveils Qassem Bassir Ballistic Missile With Optical Guidance". https://www.defensemirror.com/news/39428/Iran_Unveils_Qasem_Basir_Ballistic_Missile_With_Optical_Guidance. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Iran unveils new solid-fueled ballistic missile, state TV reports" (in en-US). The Washington Post. Associated Press. 2025-05-04. ISSN 0190-8286. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/05/04/iran-us-israel-ballistic-missile/7c211cb0-292a-11f0-a724-3bc879c9f843_story.html. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Institute for the Study of War" (in en). https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-may-5-2025. 
  15. ↑ "Iran Unveils New Ballistic Missile Amid Rising Tensions" (in en). 2025-05-05. https://www.ilmessaggero.it/en/iran_unveils_new_ballistic_missile_amid_rising_tensions-8816862.html. 
  16. ↑ "Iran unveils cutting-edge missile, says U.S. bases are targets if attacked" (in en). 2025-05-04. https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/512629/Iran-unveils-ballistic-missile-named-Qassem-Basir. 

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