Tehran claims to have built a hypersonic ballistic missile, according to reports that quoted Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Thursday.
Fox News could not immediately reach the Pentagon for comment on the claims, though there have been no reports to suggest Iran has ever tested a hypersonic ballistic missile.
Hypersonic missiles are not only capable of traveling five times faster than the speed of sound, at a speed of 3,800 mph, but they can also travel in complex trajectories that make defense difficult, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. . .
State media reports say a hypersonic missile was tested at an undisclosed location in North Korea, on January 11, 2022, in this photo released by the North Korean Central News Agency.
(Reuters Photo)
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Defense officials have previously noted Iran’s tendency to exaggerate when it comes to its military capabilities. The comments made by a senior official with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards come as ties between western Iran and Tehran’s supply of drones to Russia and their use in Ukraine are becoming increasingly strained.
“This missile has high speed and can maneuver in and out of the atmosphere. It will target the enemy’s advanced anti-missile systems and is a huge generational leap in the field of missiles,” Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh said, according to Reuters.
Russia has reportedly launched “multiple” hypersonic missiles in Ukraine, senior US defense officials said earlier this year.
A mobile Topol intercontinental ballistic missile system on display at the Army Exhibition in Moscow on August 22, 2021.
(Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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The United States responded by testing its own hypersonic missiles in July following reported concerns that Russia, China and North Korea were outpacing Washington’s missile capabilities.
It’s unclear how many hypersonic missiles Russia has in its stockpile, but as the war in Ukraine enters its ninth month, Russian missile and tactical supplies have dwindled sharply, prompting Moscow to look to nations like Iran to help arm it. to his troops.
Drone supplies to Russia are not the only international defense sector in which Tehran has been embroiled.
Last week, Iran announced it had tested a three-stage space launch vehicle, dubbed Ghaem 100, that could launch satellites weighing up to 180 pounds into orbit.
A Viking anti-aircraft missile system on display at the Army Exhibition in Moscow on August 22, 2021.
(Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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US officials condemned the move as “futile and destabilizing” as concerns mount that they could be used to deploy a nuclear warhead, according to Reuters.
Iran has repeatedly denied that it is trying to develop its nuclear capabilities as Western nations seek to bring Tehran back under a nuclear non-proliferation agreement.
