Iran has the largest and most diverse ballistic-missile arsenal in the Middle East, some of which the United States and its allies should seek to remove due to possible nuclear capability, according to a report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Because missiles play a central role in Iran’s defense and deterrence posture, in part to offset its antiquated and inferior air force, the MacArthur-supported study finds it unlikely that Iran would voluntarily surrender them entirely. However, by assessing the various missile systems design intentions and capabilities, the report identifies which systems could be used to deliver a nuclear warhead and which systems could not.
