How do ballistic missiles work and what’s their range?

June 16, 2025
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In response to Israeli attacks on its nuclear sites and senior military figures, Iran has launched hundreds of ballistic missiles towards Israel, with some striking targets on the ground.

Although Israel intercepted many of the incoming missiles, several breached its defences, causing significant damage and casualties, including hits on central Tel Aviv and other areas.

The exact size of Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal is unclear, but it is widely considered one of the largest and most advanced in the region.

In the following visual explainer, Al Jazeera unpacks how ballistic missiles work and how they are being used in the ongoing conflict.

How do ballistic missiles work?

Ballistic missiles are long-range weapons designed to deliver conventional or nuclear warheads by following a ballistic, or curved, trajectory.

Launched using powerful rocket engines, these missiles shoot upwards into the upper atmosphere or even space, travelling at incredibly high speeds. Once their engines are cut off, the missile follows a predetermined path, re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere in a steep descent before striking its target.

What speeds can they reach?

Ballistic missiles can travel distances ranging from a few hundred kilometres to more than 10,000 kilometres across continents.

Ballistic missiles are classified based on their ranges:

Battlefield range ballistic missile (BRBM) – less than 200km (124 miles)
Short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) – less than 1,000km (621 miles)
Medium/Intermediate-range ballistic missile (MRBM/IRBM) – between 1,000km and 3,500km (621-2,175 miles)
Long-range ballistic missile (LRBM) – between 3,500km and 5,500km (2,175-3,418 miles)
Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) – greater than 5,500km (3,418 miles)

How fast can they travel?

Ballistic missiles travel at extremely high speeds, allowing them to travel thousands of kilometres in just minutes.

The speed at which they travel is measured in Mach, a unit equivalent to the speed of sound; for example, Mach 5 means five times the speed of sound.

Some, usually shorter-range, ballistic missiles reach supersonic speeds (faster than Mach 1, or about 1,225km/h or 761 miles per hour), while others, usually longer-range missiles, can travel at hypersonic speeds – greater than Mach 5 (6,125km/h or 3,806mph).

A missile, which according to Yemen's Houthis is a "hypersonic" missile named "Palestine 2" that it used in Sunday's attack on Israel, but which the Pentagon says it concluded is a ballistic missile, is pictured at an unknown location, in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on September 16, 2024 — A projectile, which according to Yemen’s Houthis is a hypersonic missile named Palestine 2, is pictured at an unknown location, in this screengrab from a handout video released on September 16, 2024 [Handout/Houthi Military Media via Reuters]

How long does it take for Iran’s missiles to reach Israel?

The distance between Iran and Israel is about 1,300km to 1,500km (800-930 miles). Ballistic missiles from Iran travelling at Mach 5 can reach Israel in roughly 12 minutes, though the exact time depends on the missile type and the launch site.

Why are ballistic missiles hard to intercept?

What makes ballistic missiles especially dangerous is their combination of long range, high speed, and how difficult they are to intercept.

Their fast, high flight path gives defence systems little time to react, and when they re-enter the atmosphere, they descend even faster, making interception even more difficult. Some missiles also deploy decoys or other countermeasures to trick radar and missile defences, making them harder to intercept.

What is the difference between ballistic and cruise missiles?

Iran has also used cruise missiles against Israel. Unlike ballistic missiles, cruise missiles fly low and steady like pilotless planes, which helps them sneak past air defences. Although they travel much slower than ballistic missiles, giving air defences more time to intercept, their low flight path makes them harder to detect. Their ability to manoeuvre allows them to change course, fly around obstacles and evade missile defences.

While ballistic missiles from Iran can reach Israel in about 12 minutes, cruise missiles may take almost two hours, and drones can take up to nine hours.

Iran missile — This picture, made available by the Iranian armed forces on June 18, 2020, shows a cruise missile being fired out to sea from a mobile launch vehicle during a military exercise [Iranian Army via AFP]

Iran’s missile arsenal

Iran has developed a range of ballistic and cruise missiles over the past three decades. The graphic below summarises some of Iran’s most prominent missiles and their ranges.

Israel’s missile arsenal

Israel has an advanced missile arsenal, including long-range and nuclear-capable systems, developed with decades of support from the United States. The graphic below highlights some of Israel’s most notable missiles along with their respective ranges.

What are Israel’s air defence capabilities?

The Israeli air defence relies largely on what is known as the Iron Dome system, which is equipped with a radar that detects an incoming projectile, as well as its speed and direction.

Other systems intercept medium- and long-range missiles. The David’s Sling intercepts missiles ranging between 40km (25 miles) and 300km (186 miles). The Arrow System intercepts missiles with a range of up to 2,400km (1,491 miles).