DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Iran on Tuesday claimed it had developed a hypersonic missile capable of traveling at 15 times the speed of sound.
The announcement comes at a time when tensions with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program remain high.
Iranian state television reported that the missile – called Fattah, or “Conqueror” in Farsi – had a range of up to 1,400 kilometers (870 miles).
The report also claimed that the missile could penetrate any regional missile defense system, but no evidence was presented to support this claim.
The television broadcast what appeared to be a model of the missile unveiled to President Ebrahim Raisi by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, a hard-line paramilitary organization in the Islamic Republic. The Guard already has a vast arsenal of ballistic missiles.
In November, Revolutionary Guards General Amir Ali Hajizadeh claimed that Iran had built a hypersonic missile without providing any evidence.
The allegation came during the nationwide protests that followed the September death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested by the country’s vice squad.
Hypersonic weapons, flying at speeds in excess of Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, could pose a critical challenge to missile defense systems due to their speed and maneuverability.
China and America are believed to be after the guns. Russia claims the weapons are already in service and used them on the battlefield in Ukraine.