Iran has removed its self-imposed restrictions on missile range, according to Hossein Mohebi, a spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The announcement marks a change in Tehran’s approach to developing its missile capabilities, Iranian news agency ISNA reported.

Mohebi said the previous range restrictions no longer applied, although Iran’s military had yet to demonstrate its expanded missile capabilities in practice.

Tehran maintained a different position before its armed conflict with the United States began. In February, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country had deliberately limited its missiles to a range of 2,000 kilometers. He described Iran’s missile program as a means of defense and deterrence rather than a global threat.

Iranian military officials subsequently announced a shift in the country’s military doctrine from a defensive to an offensive posture.

Iran has also raised the possibility of conducting strikes beyond the Middle East. Iranian lawmaker Manouchehr Mottaki previously warned that US military bases in Europe could become targets if aggression against Iran resumed.

On October 31, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei instructed the armed forces to respond effectively to any threats, without imposing geographical limits on potential retaliatory operations.

Iran’s missile arsenal consists largely of medium-range weapons, most of which can strike targets up to 2,000 kilometers away. Tehran used these missiles during the conflict with the United States that began on February 28.

In March, reports also emerged of an alleged Iranian strike against a British military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. The island lies more than 5,000 kilometers from Tehran, but Iranian authorities did not confirm the reported attack.