Iran has claimed to have created a hypersonic missile has caused international community members to react with widespread alarm.
Brigadier-General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force, announced on Friday that Iran’s IRGC had successfully tested its homegrown hypersonic ballistic missile, which will be unveiled soon, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
Hajizadeh talked about the details of the hypersonic missile, suggesting that it has a high speed and can move in and out of space. He insisted that no missile defense systems could stop this new, advanced missile.
It goes after the enemy’s anti-missile systems and is a big step forward in the way missiles are made, Hajizadeh claimed.
Even though Tehran has not presented any evidence to show that the advanced weapons have been successfully tested, Iran’s adversaries are concerned about a significant escalation in the number of weapons in their possession, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Iran had previously stated it had delivered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to Russia but that these drone deliveries took place before the conflict in Ukraine began in February.
Iran regularly tests its newly developed missile technology. However, this latest claim comes at a time when the country is dealing with antigovernment protests giving the clerical establishment one of the most complex challenges it has faced in years.
As the unrest worsened, top Iranian officials alleged that Saudi Arabia, the U.S., European countries, and Israel were behind the protests.
Even though Iran has an extensive missile development program, no one knows whether the country can make hypersonic weapons.
The U.S., China, and Russia are all working on cutting-edge technology for hypersonic weapons. The government of North Korea claimed a test launch of a hypersonic missile took place in the first quarter of this year.
Hypersonic weapons come in three main types: aero-ballistic, glide vehicles, and cruise missiles. They are highly maneuverable, making them hard to predict, track, and destroy.
A former U.S. general said hypersonic missiles could enable responsive, long-range strike options against distant, defended, and time-critical threats. China, Russia, and the U.S. lead in making and using hypersonic weapons.
The Pentagon received intelligence from Saudi Arabia of an impending attack from Iran. The danger seems pointed at areas within the Saudi kingdom and in Erbil, Iraq, The Dallas Express reported. In response to the gathered intelligence, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia raised their threat level alerts.
“We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis,” a White House national security council spokesperson said. “And [we] will not hesitate to act in defense of our interests and partners in the region.”