ELI5: What is the longest range of Iran's missiles?

Iran's longest-range missiles can reach targets about as far away as driving from New York City to Los Angeles.

Think of it like this: imagine you have a toy rocket that you can launch really, really far. Some rockets go only a few feet, others might reach the end of your street. But Iran's biggest missiles are like super-powered rockets.

• They are not toys, of course; they are powerful weapons.
• And instead of launching them in your backyard, they are launched from special locations.

The range of a missile is how far it can fly before it hits the ground. Iran has different types of missiles, each with a different range. Some can only go a short distance, like across a town. But the longest-range ones can travel thousands of miles.

To understand how far that is, imagine you want to visit your friend who lives really far away.

• If you live in New York City, and your friend lives in Los Angeles, that's about 2,400 miles.
• That's a really long drive!

Iran's longest-range missiles can fly about that far or even a little further. So, if Iran launched one of those missiles from somewhere in their country, it could potentially reach targets that are about as far away as a cross-country road trip in the United States. That's why people pay attention to how far these missiles can go – because it tells us how far away they could potentially hit.