Iran unveiled what it said was a new ballistic missile on Sunday following threats by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to respond to the Houthi missile strike and their "Iranian terror masters."
President Trump is absolutely right!Attacks by the Houthis emanate from Iran. Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters. pic.twitter.com/eO4hyUzNsI
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 4, 2025
Iranian state television reported that the missile, named Qassem Basiar, has a range exceeding 1,200 kilometers. The unveiling comes as part of what Tehran described as its latest defensive accomplishments.
Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said, “The Qassem Basiar missile is resistant to electronic warfare and can bypass anti-ballistic missile systems."
“It does not use GPS, has high maneuverability, and delivers precise strikes," he added.
“If we are attacked and war is imposed on us, we will respond forcefully and strike the enemy’s bases and interests,” Nasirzadeh threatened, adding, “We have no hostility toward neighboring countries, but American bases are targets for us if we are attacked.”
His comments were broadcast by the Iranian channel Al-Nashara.
Earlier Sunday, the IDF reported that a missile launched from Yemen by the Iranian-backed Houthis was detected immediately after launch. Two interceptor missiles—one from the United States and one from Israel’s Arrow 3 system—were launched in response. Both failed to neutralize the threat.
Failure to intercept missile
The IDF's failure to shoot down the Houthi missile that struck the Ben-Gurion Airport area on Sunday morning was due to a technical error, IDF sources told The Jerusalem Post.
Further, this means that the error was not due to human error nor to any special new weapons which the Houthis might claim to have acquired.
The military said that since the beginning of the war, the Israel Air Force intercepted dozens of Houthi missiles at a success rate that exceeded 95%.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.