Iran develops unconventional missile warheads with chemical and biological payloads.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is reportedly developing unconventional warheads, including chemical and biological payloads, for its ballistic missile force, according to informed military sources cited by Iran International. The effort, if confirmed, would mark an escalation in Iran’s strategic posture and raise new concerns for regional security and arms control enforcement.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has begun work on unconventional warheads intended for integration onto its ballistic missile arsenal, according to information published by Iran International on December 29, 2025, citing informed military sources. The reported program is being led by the IRGC Aerospace Force and comes as mobile missile launchers and associated support units are moved toward Iran’s eastern regions, a deployment pattern that analysts say may reflect heightened readiness amid growing regional tensions.
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The Zolfaghar Basir anti-ship ballistic missile is operated by the IRGC Aerospace Force, part of Iran’s expanding solid-fuel missile arsenal. (Picture source: Iranian News Agency)

Sources cited by Iran International, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said work on these unconventional warheads has accelerated in recent months. The activities are reportedly taking place amid Tehran’s growing concern over the prospect of renewed confrontation with Israel and the United States, as well as fears that future strikes could again target Iran’s missile production facilities and air defense networks.

The program reportedly focuses on adapting existing solid-fuel ballistic missiles to carry non-conventional payloads. From a technical perspective, this would most likely involve unitary or submunition-based warhead designs optimized for chemical or biological agent dispersal rather than blast or fragmentation effects. Chemical warheads would likely rely on persistent choking or blister agents stored in sealed canisters designed to rupture at a programmed altitude, allowing aerosolization over a wide area. Biological payloads, while more complex, would require temperature-controlled containment systems and specialized dispersal mechanisms to preserve agent viability during the high-stress boost, midcourse, and reentry phases of ballistic flight.

Iran International’s sources said the IRGC Aerospace Force is also working on upgrading command-and-control architecture linked to these missiles. This suggests efforts to ensure centralized authorization and secure transmission pathways, a critical requirement for unconventional payloads that carry major political and strategic consequences. Western intelligence agencies cited by the outlet have reportedly detected unusual telemetry activity and logistical movements associated with IRGC missile units, reinforcing concerns that these developments are moving beyond theoretical research.

If confirmed, the reported work would build on Iran’s already extensive ballistic missile force, which remains the largest and most diverse in the Middle East. The IRGC Aerospace Force operates a wide range of short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, most of them solid-fueled and road-mobile. Key systems include the Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar families with ranges between 300 and 700 kilometers, the Dezful and Kheibar Shekan with improved accuracy and maneuverable reentry vehicles, and medium-range systems such as Shahab-3, Ghadr, and Emad, capable of reaching targets well beyond 1,000 kilometers. These missiles are supported by an expanding network of underground launch complexes and transporter-erector-launchers designed for survivability against preemptive strikes.

The Zolfaghar family in particular, frequently displayed by the IRGC, is assessed by regional analysts as a plausible candidate for unconventional payload integration due to its solid-fuel design, relatively large payload capacity, and demonstrated operational use. Longer-range systems could theoretically extend the reach of such warheads deep into the region, significantly altering strategic calculations for both missile defense planners and political decision-makers.

Iran International reported that Iranian decision-makers view the development of unconventional warheads as a complementary deterrent factor rather than a replacement for conventional missile capabilities. In this framework, chemical and biological warheads would serve as a means of dramatically raising the cost of military action against Iran in scenarios perceived as existential threats. One source cited by the outlet said there is a belief at senior levels that the use of unconventional weapons could be justified under extreme circumstances, despite Iran’s public commitments to international conventions.

This reported posture stands in sharp contrast to Tehran’s longstanding narrative emphasizing Iran’s status as a victim of chemical warfare during the Iran-Iraq War. Iranian officials have frequently referenced the 1987 mustard gas attack on Sardasht, documented by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, as evidence of Iran’s opposition to such weapons. Iran International’s sources suggest, however, that strategic survival considerations are increasingly overriding reputational and diplomatic constraints within elements of the IRGC.

Military analysts quoted by Iran International warned that confirmation of chemical or biological warheads on Iranian ballistic missiles would represent a drastic shift in the regional deterrence balance. Such a development would almost certainly trigger intense international condemnation, expanded sanctions, and heightened military preparedness across the Middle East. Even limited deployment would complicate crisis management, increase the risk of rapid escalation, and place additional strain on existing missile defense systems.

Tehran continues to deny any pursuit of unconventional weapons and insists its missile program is defensive and compliant with international obligations. Nevertheless, Iran has consistently expanded the range, accuracy, and survivability of its ballistic missile forces. If the reported unconventional warhead program is substantiated, it would mark one of the most consequential and destabilizing evolutions of Iran’s missile strategy in recent decades.