The Islamic Republic of Iran unveiled a hypersonic ballistic missile on Tuesday (June 6th) in the presence of President Ebrahim Raisi, according to images broadcast by state television. The projectile is presented as the "latest achievement of the Revolutionary Guards' Aerospace Force," the regime's ideological army.
The official IRNA news agency released photos of the ceremony in an unspecified closed location. Several military officials were present, including the head of the Guards, General Hossein Salami.
The domestically-developed hypersonic missile "Fattah", #Iran IRGC's most recent achievement, was unveiled on Tuesday morning (June 6) in the presence of President Ebrahim Raisi. pic.twitter.com/wzwUTRR3ez
— IRNA News Agency (@IrnaEnglish) June 6, 2023
"The range of the Fattah missile is 1,400 km and its speed before reaching the target" is between 13 and 15 times the speed of sound, IRNA said.
In November, the Islamic Republic announced the manufacture of this missile, raising concerns of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about Iran's nuclear program.
However, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said the announcement "should have no influence" on negotiations over Iran's nuclear program. These discussions have been at a standstill since the summer of 2022.
Hypersonic missiles fly at low altitudes in the atmosphere and are maneuverable, making their trajectory difficult to predict and intercepting difficult.
Russia, North Korea and the United States announced in 2021 that they had conducted hypersonic missile tests, reviving fears of a new arms race.
But it was Russia that got a head start, announcing in March that it had used Kinjal hypersonic missiles in Ukraine, weeks after the invasion began on February 24.
With AFP
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