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Originally published by IslamicWorldNews
In May 2025, Iran’s Ministry of Defense unveiled the Qassem Basir, a solid-fuel ballistic missile with a range of 1,200 kilometers. Like other missiles bearing the “Basir” suffix (such as Nasr Basir and Zulfaqar Basir), this new system features an optical seeker, allowing it to independently guide itself during the terminal phase without relying on external navigation systems like GPS. This capability significantly enhances its precision, making it a true pinpoint strike weapon.
The Qassem Basir is an evolution of the Haj Qassem missile, first revealed in August 2020. That missile, itself a development of the Fateh tactical missile family (Fateh-110, Fateh-313, Zulfaqar), featured a larger diameter—90 cm compared to Zulfaqar’s 68 cm—and extended its range to 1,400 km thanks to a more powerful engine. Its warhead and guidance systems were derived from the Zulfaqar design.
Just a month after Haj Qassem’s debut, Iran showcased the Zulfaqar Basir at the Aerospace National Park. Like the Persian Gulf missile and Fateh-110 upgrades, it incorporated an optical seeker, resulting in a 700 km-range anti-ship ballistic missile. Given the similarities between Zulfaqar and Haj Qassem’s warhead design, experts anticipated a future upgrade—now realized with the Qassem Basir.
Optical Seekers: The Missing Link in Iranian Missile Accuracy
Iranian ballistic missiles traditionally rely on inertial navigation systems (INS) using precision gyroscopes, supplemented by satellite-based GPS for mid-course corrections. While INS alone can achieve sub-10-meter accuracy at short ranges (<500 km), longer-range precision has depended on GPS—an Achilles’ heel in electronic warfare environments.
A clear example is Operation True Promise II, where Iranian missiles penetrated enemy defenses but suffered from degraded accuracy due to GPS signal disruption near the target zone.
The Qassem Basir addresses this vulnerability by eliminating reliance on satellite navigation. It uses INS for mid-course guidance and switches to its onboard optical seeker during the final phase, enabling high-precision targeting even under GPS-denied conditions.
Speed, Maneuverability, and Resilience
With mid-phase speeds exceeding Mach 10 and terminal speeds around Mach 5, combined with a maneuverable warhead, the Qassem Basir is designed to evade advanced Israeli and American missile defense systems. The integration of an optical seeker in the nose cone minimizes terminal-phase error, ensuring the warhead strikes its target with exceptional accuracy.
This innovation marks a strategic shift in Iran’s missile doctrine—enhancing survivability, precision, and independence from vulnerable navigation systems. Whether this represents a permanent solution or a transitional upgrade, it undeniably raises the bar for Iran’s long-range strike capabilities.
Video of the unveiling of the Qassem Basir missile and how it works
However, integrating an optical seeker into ballistic missile warheads presents a significant technical challenge namely, the limitations imposed by high terminal speeds. For instance, missiles like the Persian Gulf and Zulfaqar Basir reach speeds of around Mach 3 before impact. In contrast, more advanced systems like the Haj Qassem missile strike their targets at speeds between Mach 4.5 and 5, even without executing evasive maneuvers.
At such velocities or potentially even higher, the performance of optical seekers can degrade. The intense aerodynamic and thermal stress may interfere with the seeker’s functionality or even damage its protective glass covering. In a recently released video, a completely black screen appears at a distance of 161 kilometers from the target, which could indicate either that the seeker was inactive or that a retractable protective cover was still in place.
The latter explanation seems more plausible, given the extreme reentry speeds involved. Without adequate shielding, the seeker’s optics could be compromised before it has a chance to engage the target. This highlights the delicate balance between precision guidance and survivability in high-speed missile design.
Similarity of the nose of the Qassem Basir missile (left image) with the nose and protective covering of the Fateh Mobin missile (right image)
Will Optical Seekers Ultimately Prove Effective in Iranian Ballistic Missiles?
Iran’s ballistic missiles in the 1,200–1,700 km range have demonstrated the ability to penetrate enemy missile defense systems in large numbers and reach their targets. However, accuracy has occasionally suffered due to reliance on GPS, which is vulnerable to jamming and signal disruption. These missiles typically rely on maneuverable warheads and high terminal speeds to evade interception. Yet, with the introduction of optical seekers such as in the Qassem Basir missile, there appears to be a shift in design priorities.
To protect the seeker and ensure precise targeting, Qassem Basir’s warhead reportedly performs more aggressive maneuvers during the final phase of flight, likely to reduce speed and allow the seeker to lock onto its target without damage. While this upgrade significantly improves accuracy, it introduces a new vulnerability: reduced terminal velocity, which could make the warhead more susceptible to interception in heavily defended zones.
Qassem Basir missile
Qassem Basir missile
Despite this trade-off, Qassem Basir represents a cost-effective and accessible solution for enhancing Iran’s missile precision. It may not be ideal as a first-strike weapon against areas protected by dense missile shields, but it could serve effectively as a follow-up missile, launched after enemy defenses are saturated, to strike with high confidence.
According to available reports, this warhead upgrade is being applied to other Iranian ballistic systems as well, marking a major leap in precision capabilities. This evolution not only strengthens Iran’s strategic arsenal but also sends a powerful message to adversaries across land and sea.
Specifications of Qassem Basir missile:
Type: Ballistic
Origin: Iran
Manufacturer: Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics
Launched: 2025
Length: 10.9 meters
Diameter: 0.9 meters
Engine: Single stage
Fuel: Solid composite
Range: 1200 km
Speed in intermediate phase: +10 Mach
Speed in terminal phase: Unknown
CEP: 1 meter
Weight: 7 tons
Warhead: Detachable MaRV
Warhead weight: 500 kg
Guidance: INS – IIR
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israel now has an open air route to attack iran, and the shah’s army is gathering in balochistan. you will see the damage russia has caused to iran by betrayal syria. in the ungoverned areas of balochistan, the shah’s huge army is gathering, which will very soon strike tehran. now israel is rapidly mobilizing everything from idf recruits to gangs from south america (the favelas of rio de janeiro) and india (the favelas of new delhi). israel does not need so many soldiers and rockets for palestin
this is what pezeshkian office will look like when the shah’s army from balochistan invades tehran.
retribution wreaks havoc on smackdown: smackdown, august 7, 2020
4,5 mio. ogledov
pred 5 leti
wwe
retribution brings carnage to the blue brand, as the mysterious faction attacked the audience members and unleashes a …
thug entity israhell is about to burn and flame crispy finally making the “desert” bloom
israel does not need so many missiles and so many soldiers to destroy one hamas, given that yasser al-shabab is quickly forming a new government in gaza. trump is importing weapons into syria to attack iran, because he certainly doesn’t need them as much for a potential showdown with hezbollah and hamas. you will see that iran is completely vulnerable due to russia’s betrayal of syria, and you will see how quickly the shah’s army will storm tehran from the pathless terrain of balochistan.
the pathless and steep slopes of balochistan are full of the shah’s army. bunches of poor indian people from the slums where they live in cardboard boxes on piles of garbage and bunches of poor people from the favelas of rio de janeiro who don’t even have a piece of bread and a bowl of rice are put into the shah’s army. then these tattooed machos and women who sleep with makeup on will invade iran and unwrap penguin nuns there.
far more vulnerable are khazars fake semites after the whole world including americe understand that khazars are not semites but colonist invaders of khazaria empire origin, convertites who originally adored phallus as god and later converted to judaism. khazars are easily identifiable: they have european look, white skin, mongolian, slavic and turkic dna and neverending blabs lies that god promised them holy land.
never trust russia
when the idf strikes from all sides, there will be no more iran. putler will be a hypocrite and a traitor. bibi does not know the whole plan because trump does not have a libya 2 plan for iran, but a plan to bring back shah reza pahlavi. the goal is to return the iranian king to the throne. reza pahlavi is the king and the king’s (idf, gangs from rio de janeiro and new delhi) army will strike from all sides. the iranian ayatollah is surrounded and has no idea how to get out of the ring.
i wonder if the optical seeker can distinguish between a water desalination plant, and an oil refinery.
one more reason for israel to put iran in darkness.
no, iranian hypocrites will be happy because women will be able to walk around tehran in miniskirts and walk their dogs. and shah army will come from balochistan and an army will also come from israel and syria.
iranian generals will be unhappy when moscow is full of miniskirted bartenders and jewish escorts (like irina bolgar). but iranians will be happy without them at home in tehran.
the shah army will invade iran from balochistan and then unwrap all the penguin nuns. when the idf strikes from all sides, there will be no more iran.
oalestine for the real semites will thrive long after israhell’s colonial demons are scattered back to their former ghettos. karma cannot be denied and the $atan’s chosen will reap a terrible harvest of long overdue destruction
hopefully they are working on their air defense too as that was the weakest aspect before, they need to be able to take down incoming planes, missiles and drones if required.
beautiful ! more unstoppable missiles to demolish israeli intentions to rule the region. the war banker corporations will still act as ignorant fools. it is all they know.