DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran claimed Tuesday that it has built a hypersonic missile capable of traveling at 15 times the speed of sound.
The announcement comes at a time when tensions remain high with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Iranian state television reported that the missile – called the Fattah or “conqueror” in Farsi – has a range of 1,400 kilometers (870 miles).
The report also claimed that the missile could pass through any regional missile defense system, though it provided no evidence to support the claim.
Television broadcast what appeared to be a model of the missile that was unveiled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, a hardline paramilitary organization in the Islamic Republic, to President Ebrahim Raisi. The Guard already has a huge arsenal of ballistic missiles.
In November, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh of the Revolutionary Guards claimed that Iran had built a hypersonic missile, without providing evidence to support it.
The allegation came during the nationwide protests that followed the death in September of 22-year-old Mohsa Amini after being arrested by the country’s morality police.
Hypersonic weapons, which fly at more than Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, can pose critical challenges to missile defense systems because of their speed and maneuverability.
It is believed that China is seeking arms, just like America. Russia claims it is already sending the weapons and said it has used them on the battlefield in Ukraine.
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