Iran claims first combat use of Qassem Basir anti-ship ballistic missile

The article reports Iranian-affiliated channels claiming the IRGC fired the Qassem Basir medium-range anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) at U.S. Navy ships on Sept. 5, 2026. If accurate, this would be the first known combat employment of a new ASBM unveiled in May 2025, expanding Iran’s maritime strike threat envelope and stressing finite U.S. shipborne missile-defense inventories (SM-3/SM-6).