If Iran moves to strike targets outside the Middle East and Gulf region, its extended-range loitering munition, the Shahed-136B, is the weapon most likely to be used.
IRGC’s Escalating Threat Posture
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) recently threatened to extend the conflict “beyond the region,” with the regime warning that any resumed U.S. or Israeli attacks would trigger “crushing blows” in places and ways currently described as unimaginable.
What Is the Shahed-136B?
The Shahed-136B is an extended-range, heavier-payload evolution of the original Shahed-136 “kamikaze” drone. This single-use, precision-attack loitering munition uses its own airframe as the warhead. It combines features of both a UAV and a cruise missile. Iran positions it as a low-cost alternative to ballistic missiles for striking high-value infrastructure and military installations at long range.
Based on Israeli intelligence sources, the Shahed-136B carries the following estimated specifications:
- Range: Up to 4,000 km
- Warhead: Approximately 200 kg
- Propulsion: Rear-mounted piston engine with a pusher propeller — optimized for endurance and range, not speed
Strategic Reach and Doctrine
This range and propulsion configuration enables Iran to threaten targets deep into Europe, across the Middle East and as far as Indian Ocean bases such as Diego Garcia, all launched from hardened sites inside Iran. Iranian military doctrine treats the Shahed-136B not as a tactical battlefield drone, but as a strategic loitering munition that complements its ballistic missile inventory with greater flexibility and at significantly lower cost.