US intelligence agencies assess Iran could develop intercontinental ballistic missile capability by 2035 using space launch technology
Video Trump's Iran ultimatum intensifies with US military build-up Jennifer Griffin reports on President Donald Trump's ultimatum to Iran amid escalating nuclear talks and a significant US military build-up in the Middle East.
President Donald Trump warned that Iran is working to build missiles that could "soon reach the United States of America," elevating concerns about a weapons program that already places U.S. forces across the Middle East within range.
Iran does not currently possess a missile capable of striking the U.S. homeland, officials say. But its existing ballistic missile arsenal can target major American military installations in the Gulf, and U.S. officials say the issue has emerged as a key sticking point in ongoing nuclear negotiations.
Here’s what Iran can hit now — and how close it is to reaching the U.S.
A map shows what is within range of ballistic missiles fired from Iran. (Fox News)
Iran is widely assessed by Western defense analysts to operate the largest ballistic missile force in the Middle East. Its arsenal consists primarily of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles with ranges of up to roughly 2,000 kilometers — about 1,200 miles.
That range places a broad network of U.S. military infrastructure across the Gulf within reach.
Among the installations inside that envelope:
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- Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command.
- Naval Support Activity Bahrain, home to the U.S. 5th Fleet.
- Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, a major Army logistics and command hub.
- Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, used by U.S. Air Force units.
- Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
- Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.
- Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, which hosts U.S. aircraft.
U.S. forces have drawn down from some regional positions in recent months, including the transfer of Al Asad Air Base in Iraq back to Iraqi control earlier in 2026. But major Gulf installations remain within the range envelope of Iran’s current missile inventory.
Israel's air defense targets Iranian missiles in the sky of Tel Aviv in Israel, June 16, 2025. (MATAN GOLAN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
Multiple U.S. officials told Fox News that staffing at the Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain has been reduced to "mission critical" levels amid heightened tensions. A separate U.S. official disputed that characterization, saying no ordered departure of personnel or dependents has been issued.
At the same time, the U.S. has surged significant naval and air assets into and around the region in recent days.
The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is operating in the Arabian Sea alongside multiple destroyers, while additional destroyers are positioned in the eastern Mediterranean, Red Sea and Persian Gulf.
The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is also headed toward the region. U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft — including F-15s, F-16s, F-35s and A-10s — are based across Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, supported by aerial refueling tankers, early warning aircraft and surveillance platforms, according to a recent Fox News military briefing.
Iran has demonstrated its willingness to use ballistic missiles against U.S. targets before.
In January 2020, following the U.S. strike that killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at U.S. positions in Iraq. Dozens of American service members were later diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries.
That episode underscored the vulnerability of forward-deployed forces within reach of Iran’s missile arsenal.
Most publicly known Iranian missile systems are assessed to have maximum ranges of around 2,000 kilometers.
Depending on launch location, that could place parts of southeastern Europe — including Greece, Bulgaria and Romania — within potential reach. The U.S. has some 80,000 troops stationed across Europe, including in all three of these countries.
Iran is widely assessed by Western defense analysts to operate the largest ballistic missile force in the Middle East. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
Reaching deeper into Europe would require longer-range systems than Iran has publicly demonstrated as operational.
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