The Qassem Bassir (also transliterated Qasem or Ghasem Bassir) missile is an Iranian medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) unveiled in May 2025. With a solid-fueled, two-stage system, it is presented as an improved variant of IranâÂÂs Haj Qassem series, named after Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani. Iranian officials state the Qassem Bassir has a range of about 1,200 km, and features enhanced guidance and countermeasure resistance. The missile was revealed by Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh on Iranian state television on 4 May 2025.
The Qassem Bassir emerged from IranâÂÂs ongoing missile program development. It is explicitly an upgrade of the "Shahid Haj Qassem" medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) first unveiled in 2020 (with a longer advertised 1,400 km range).
Estimates from Iranian sources suggest the Qassem Bassir re-enters the atmosphere at speeds up to ~Mach 11 and impacts at about Mach 5, classifying it as hypersonic at terminal phase.
The Qassem BassirâÂÂs guidance system combines inertial navigation with an advanced electro-optical sensor for the terminal phase. According to the Iranian Defense Ministry, it carries a thermal imaging (Infrared) camera that allows the missile to visually identify and home in on designated targets by their heat signatures, this means it can attempt to "see" its target and maneuver toward it without relying on any satellite GPS signal. Iranian reports claim that during testing the Qassem Bassir flew under intense jamming, yet its autonomous optical seeker and onboard inertial units maintained trajectory. Observers note this is the first Iranian MRBM reported to use an image-based (infrared/optical) terminal seeker. In practice, this guidance scheme should make the Qassem Bassir largely immune to radio-frequency jamming; as one analyst explained, by matching real-time images to stored terrain or target shapes, the missile avoids any external signals that an enemy could block. Iran claims that the Qassem Bassir can achieve near "meter-level" accuracy against selected targets (e.g. airfield facilities).
During reentry, the missile's fins reportedly allow the warhead to perform course changes at supersonic speed
Independent analysts caution that such figures likely include elements of propaganda. Others, such as Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at KingâÂÂs College London, are skeptical about Iran's claims about the new missile, stating that they need to be taken with a "pinch of salt,âÂÂ, further stating about Iran that "they claim a lot" in order to retain a deterrent posture in anticipation of a rise in military tensions between Iran and the US.
According to the Iranian Ministry of Defense, the Qassem Bassir missile was successfully test-fired on 16âÂÂ17 April 2025, striking a target over 1,200 km away. On 4â¯Mayâ¯2025, the missileâÂÂs formal unveiling took place, while US-Iran talks were on hold after a pause requested by OmanâÂÂs foreign minister. In public statements, Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and media outlets stressed that BassirâÂÂs enhancements in guidance and maneuverability address the deficiencies of earlier missiles, while stating that US bases in the region would be legitimate targets if military tensions in the area were to increase.