Iran claimed to have successfully tested a new ballistic missile named Qassem Bassir. Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said the missile had a 1,200 kilometer range and claimed that it could evade the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system. Western and Russian experts said that the missile was the first Iranian medium-range ballistic missile to use electro optical (EO) seekers, which make it resistant to electronic jamming. According to Iranian media, the Qassem Bassir is an upgraded version of the Martyr Hajj Qassem missile unveiled in 2020.