According to statements made by the Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace commander, which were reported by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, Iran has built a hypersonic ballistic missile.
“This missile can manoeuvre into and out of the atmosphere and moves at a high speed. It is a significant generational leap in the field of missiles that will target the enemy’s superior anti-missile systems “commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh was quoted as saying.
It is challenging to intercept hypersonic missiles because they can fly on complicated trajectories at a speed that is at least five times faster than the speed of sound.
Although Iran has developed its domestic arms industry in response to international restrictions and embargoes, Western military analysts claim Iran sometimes exaggerates its military might. However, there have been no reports of Iran launching such a missile.
But the US decision to leave the nuclear agreement Tehran signed with world powers in 2015 under then-President Donald Trump in 2018 was influenced by worries over Iran’s ballistic missile programme.
According to official media, Iran this week reported testing the Ghaem 100, a first-of-its-kind three-stage space launch vehicle that can deliver 80 kg (180 pounds) satellites into orbits 500 km (300 miles) above the planet’s surface.
As it believes space launch vehicles may be used to convey a nuclear warhead, the US has referred to such operations as “destabilising.”
