Iran claims to have completed first hypersonic missile

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Rocket »Fattah«: President Ebrahim Rahisi and commanders of the Revolutionary Guards took part in the presentation

Photo: MNA

Iran's missile program has long been a cause for concern in the West. Now, according to its own information, the country has completed its first hypersonic missile. Photos of the »Fattah« were circulated via the state news agency Irna.

It featured a ceremony attended by President Ebrahim Rahisi and commanders of the Revolutionary Guards. Hypersonic missiles can fly at least five times as fast as sound. Because of their complex trajectories, they are also difficult to shoot down by anti-aircraft systems.

The rocket with a speed of 13 to 15 Mach (16,000 to 18,500 kilometers per hour) can reach targets up to 1400 kilometers away, Irna reported. This would allow "numerous manoeuvres" to be carried out inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere.

Israel feels threatened

The West sees Iran's military and missile program as a threat to the Middle East and the Gulf region. The leadership of the Islamic country rejects this. Tehran claims that the program is for defense and civilian purposes. However, there are repeated threats against Israel from Iran. Many Iranian politicians deny the country's right to exist. Israel sees this as an existential threat.

Hypersonic missiles reach enormous speeds even when launched. The high speed makes it difficult for air defense systems to detect the incoming missiles in time. In addition, such missiles can be launched not only from ramps, but also from airplanes.

Iranian state television explicitly pointed out that the "Fattah" could not be intercepted even by the most modern defense systems of the United States and Israel. The completion of the rocket is a "regenerative leap". Russia is also in possession of hypersonic missiles used in the war of aggression against Ukraine. However, according to their own statements, the Ukrainian armed forces have already succeeded in intercepting such missiles before impact with the help of Western defense systems.

asc/dpa/Reuters