The terrifying arsenal at Iran's disposal: Islamic Republic could disable ... trends now

Experts have warned Iran could have an unknown arsenal of EMP and dirty bombs after Tehran threatened it would hit Israel with 'weapons never used before'.

Iran made its threat in a bid to deter Israel's retaliation following an unprecedented barrage of missiles and drones by the Islamic Republic.

'If such 'never-before-seen' weapons exist, they are probably larger and more sophisticated payloads and warheads compared to the missiles and drones they launched against Israel,' Professor Gerald Steinberg, head of Jerusalem-based NGO Monitor, said. 

The Islamic Republic's President Ebrahim Raisi warned that the 'tiniest invasion' by Israel would bring a 'massive and harsh' response.

Here, experts assess the potential arsenal at Iran's disposal and the possible havoc these weapons could cause. 

Electromagnetic pulse weapons (EMPs) use light, lasers, invisible microwaves and electromagnetic energy to cut off electricity - and experts claim Iran has EMPs in their arsenal.

The US military warned in 2018 that Iran was developing such arms and the deadly consequences they could have if used, estimating that an EMP attack on American soil could kill millions in the utter chaos they would create.

The aim in using EMPs is to destroy an enemy's command, control, communication and computing, surveillance and intelligence capabilities without hurting people or infrastructure. 

Military and commercial jets would be degraded, bases would be cut off, and power and GPS would go dark making defence and counter-attacks virtually impossible. 

Asaf Romirowsky, who holds a PhD in Middle East and Mediterranean Studies from King's College London, said that EMPs are one of the 'major' concerns for Israel, because they 'would render the country defenceless'.

'The domino effect of an EMP attack would be that the Iranian Axis groups - Hamas, Hizbullah and the Houthis - would then start firing at Israel if they cannot retaliate,' the expert, who now heads Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, said.

'The bigger threat has always been the use of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), which is where the region fully understands the threat of Iran as the greatest destabilizing force in the region,' Romirowsky added.