IRGC claims a self-imposed limit on ballistic missile range ‘has been lifted’

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Saturday that a self-proclaimed limit of 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) on the range of its ballistic missiles “has been lifted,” suggesting the country may seek to develop missiles capable of reaching more distant targets amid fears of renewed all-out war.

The comments by Gen. Hossein Mohebbi, the IRGC spokesman, came days after a statement attributed to Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khomeini, said “any kind and level of threat” from the US or Israel would face a response without geographic limits.

Asked at a Tehran press conference about the limit on missile ranges, Mohebbi said “that restriction has been lifted for us,” and that Iran will “demonstrate these capabilities in practice” rather than make statements.

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He did not say whether Iran had missiles capable of exceeding the supposed limit.

The 2,000-kilometer range puts parts of Greece and the Balkans, the entire Arabian Peninsula, the Levant and most of Egypt within reach of Iran’s missiles.

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Despite claiming it restricts its missile range, Iran in March reportedly tried and failed to hit the joint US-UK base at Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, some 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) away from the Islamic Republic.

US officials have also said technology from Iran’s space program can be repurposed to build intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Limited window to resume war

Meanwhile, NBC News reported Saturday that US President Donald Trump was told by some of his advisers five days before Tuesday’s midterm elections that if he wants to restart major combat operations against Iran, he should do so before the swearing-in of the new Congress in January.

The unconfirmed report cited two US officials, who said that Democrats’ subsequent takeover of both houses of Congress reinforced the assessment, as the new Congress could hamper operations through investigations, budget cuts, and legislative action.

The officials quoted in the report said that Trump has not yet decided to resume full-scale conflict, but they noted that he has previously approved, and then withdrawn, several operations just hours before they were set to launch.

A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on the discussions, NBC said.

While the US has yet to resume full-scale strikes on Iran, Trump said late Friday that the US military carried out limited strikes on the country, targeting an air defense system in what he said was a “minor” operation.

Trump did not offer further details about the targets past saying that the strikes took out “a little bit of an anti-aircraft device.”

As mediators have intensified efforts in recent days to ​end the war, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reached out to China to use its influence with Tehran to end the war, and China has in turn reached out to Iran, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius said Friday, citing a knowledgeable US official.

According to Ignatius, Bessent reached out to China with Trump’s blessing.

US to restrict Iranian land commerce

Also on Saturday, the US military said it was launching a task force to help crack down on Tehran’s movement of advanced weapons and other sanctioned material over its land borders and through the Caspian Sea.

Task Force Iron Gate, which was first reported by Reuters, will be based in Tampa, Florida, and will coordinate with other US government agencies. Beyond the movement of weapons, it will also focus on halting the flow of dual-use technologies used by Iran and stemming what Washington calls illegal revenue streams.

The establishment of the task force is the latest illustration of how the US is still searching for ways to increase pressure on Tehran, more than eight months after launching with Israel a war against the Islamic Republic.

While US strikes have dealt devastating blows to Iran’s conventional military and the US naval blockade has severely restricted its crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea, Iran still poses a formidable threat to the region, and its rulers have tightened their grip on the country.

A Reuters investigation found Iran has created a secret network of military agencies to import at least $2 billion in hardware, explosives and heavy-duty trucks since January 2025, evading both the US naval blockade and Western sanctions.

The material entered Iran by cargo ship across the Caspian Sea from Russia, by truck from Central Asia, and by freight planes from China, the Reuters investigation showed.

US Central Command said the task force will coordinate with other government agencies. A US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that was expected to include the Treasury, State and Justice Departments but also the intelligence community.

“Strengthening CENTCOM’s collaboration with US interagency partners will further constrain Iran’s ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and replenish their military,” Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of Central Command, said in a statement.

Central Command estimated that its naval blockade has prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion in crude oil.

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