Iran's ballistic missile programme, which has advanced over the past 40 years despite sanctions, has brought Western attention to Iran's missile capabilities. Iranian forces, during strikes in Pakistan, Iraq, and Syria, showcased their missile arsenal, which covers short, medium, and long ranges. The development of solid-propellant missiles has made them more tactically useful for Iran. Iranian leaders have relied on missiles as an effective means of retaliation and defense, compensating for the lack of a modern air force. It is unknown how large Iranian missile stocks are, but estimates suggest there could be over 200,000 missiles. Iran aims to improve its missile capabilities, including hitting moving targets and extending the range beyond 2,000 kilometers.