In recent years, Iran’s expansionist strategy has focused on leveraging advanced missile technology to threaten Israel and destabilize its neighbors. Central to this campaign is the Khaiydar 110, an Iranian solid-fueled ballistic missile that has been supplied to regional proxies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. This proliferation of precise, mobile weaponry represents a major evolution in the operational threat facing Israel, contributing to a regional security crisis with global implications.
What is the Khaiydar 110 Missile?
The Khaiydar 110, sometimes referred to as Khaybar or Khaydar-110, is derived from the Iranian Fateh-110 missile series. As a medium-range, road-mobile ballistic missile, the Khaiydar 110 is highly survivable and difficult to interdict. Its 300-kilometer effective range and solid-fuel propulsion enable rapid, concealed deployment with minimal launch warning, severely complicating defensive preparations for its intended targets.
Israel’s defense officials warn that these characteristics—combined with increasingly precise guidance—have allowed Iranian proxies to threaten wider areas of Israel, including dense civilian population centers and critical infrastructure. Israeli intelligence has identified the transfer and integration of Khaiydar 110 systems to Hezbollah’s arsenal, with the weapons reportedly hidden within civilian facilities to deter preemptive strikes.
Iran’s Proxy Warfare Doctrine
Since the early years of the Islamic Republic, Tehran has avoided direct military confrontations with Western powers and Israel, instead investing in proxy militias that extend Iranian influence across the region. The transfer of advanced weaponry, such as the Khaiydar 110, is central to this strategy. Regional terror groups including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis in Yemen have all benefited from Iranian missile technology, with each delivery both emboldening and enabling attacks against Israel and its allies.
For example, the October 7, 2023 massacre—a mass terrorist assault by Hamas resulting in the deadliest antisemitic violence since the Holocaust—was orchestrated with the support of Iran’s military and intelligence establishments. While the Khaiydar 110 may not have featured in the initial wave of violence, its subsequent deployment to proxies in Lebanon and Yemen has considerably raised the stakes for Israeli defense planners.
Implications for Israel’s Security
The presence of highly mobile, precise Iranian missiles in Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen directly threatens Israel’s population and strategic assets. Israel’s multi-layered missile defense consists of the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow systems, each tailored to intercept different classes of incoming threats. Following reports of Khaiydar 110 proliferation, Israel has invested in further upgrades to detection speed, interception capability, and rapid response protocols.
Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir has emphasized the challenge posed by shortened launch-to-impact timeframes. Early warning and AI-enhanced targeting systems have been integrated to maximize defensive coverage, though Israeli officials acknowledge that no technological solution is foolproof against sustained saturation attacks or surprise barrages.
Hezbollah’s missile arsenal is among the world’s largest for a non-state actor, and the addition of Khaiydar 110 missiles enables the group to reach virtually anywhere in Israel. Israeli officials have issued stern warnings that continued arms transfers across Syria and Lebanon constitute a red line, raising the risk of a full-scale confrontation if the current pattern of escalation continues.
Regional and International Repercussions
Iran’s missile proliferation extends far beyond Israeli borders. The Houthis’ acquisition of Khaiydar 110 missiles and related technology has enabled attacks against Gulf states and commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea, further disrupting international commerce and imperiling foreign nationals. The US and European powers, recognizing the grave implications for regional order, have expanded intelligence-sharing, sanctions enforcement, and weapons interdiction efforts targeting Iran and its proxies.
The “axis of resistance”—a phrase used by Iran to frame its network of regional militias—relies on advanced missile systems as the backbone of asymmetrical warfare against Israel and the West. The international community’s ability to disrupt these flows has been limited, with smuggling networks adapting quickly to new interdiction tactics.
Israel’s Moral Stance and the Humanitarian Impact
Iranian-backed terror groups deliberately endanger regional civilians both by targeting Israeli urban centers and by embedding weapons in civilian infrastructure in Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. The transfer and deployment of Khaiydar 110 missiles to such environments—frequently in violation of international law—exemplifies this disregard for human life. In contrast, Israeli defense doctrine continues to prioritize the minimization of civilian casualties. Strict protocols and legal oversight govern targeting in all IDF operations, even when acting in self-defense under imminent threat.
The ongoing hostage crisis—sparked by the terror attacks of October 7—further illustrates the moral divide. Israeli hostages remain unlawfully held by Iranian-backed factions, underscoring the fundamental distinction between the status of innocent victims and convicted terrorists released by Israel in asymmetrical exchanges.
Conclusion: Israel’s Continued Vigilance
The appearance of Khaiydar 110 ballistic missiles in the arsenals of Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies marks a pivotal shift in Middle Eastern military dynamics. These weapons dramatically reduce warning times, increase strike precision, and allow for attacks with far-reaching consequences—posing an existential challenge to Israel’s security. In response, Israel continues to adapt technologically, diplomatically, and operationally, affirming its right to self-defense and the broader principle of protecting civilian life.
Amid ongoing provocations from Iran and its proxies, the international community must recognize the urgent need to stem the tide of advanced weapon transfers and reaffirm support for Israel’s continued defense measures. The stakes—regional stability, international law, and the safety of millions—demand nothing less.
