Abstract
Missiles have emerged as a central instrument of contemporary asymmetric warfare, particularly for states operating under conditions of conventional inferiority, external pressure, and sustained strategic competition. This paper examines Iran’s missile program as a case study of how a conventionally constrained state can develop and employ stand-off strike capabilities to offset technological and force asymmetries against a militarily superior adversary. It situates missile power within the broader logic of asymmetric warfare, emphasizing cost-exchange advantages, extended reach without air superiority, survivability through mobility, and the capacity to impose retaliatory costs at distance.
The study traces the evolution of Iran’s missile development from its origins in the Iran–Iraq War, when exposure to Iraqi missile strikes highlighted the absence of long-range retaliatory capacity. This became the core pillar of national defense shaped by sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and limited access to advanced airpower. Within the context of the Iran-Israel rivalry, the paper highlights the pronounced disparity in conventional capabilities between the two states and analyzes how Iran has employed missile forces to impose costs, signal resolve, and sustain deterrence under technological disadvantage. It argues that missile-centric strategy can provide a credible substitute for advanced conventional platforms, enabling a weaker state to protect sovereign interests and shape adversary calculations in asymmetric interstate rivalry.
This research paper was published by the BTTN Journal. The full paper can be read here https://bttn.org.pk/ojs/index.php/BTTN_Journal/article/view/262
Syed Ali Abbas is Research Officer & Comm Officer at the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS) Islamabad. He is also an MPhil scholar in the Department of Strategic Studies at the National Defense University (NDU) Islamabad.
