Tehran claims to have built a hypersonic ballistic missile, according to reports that cited Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Thursday.
Fox News could not immediately reach the Pentagon for comment on the claims, though there has been no reporting to suggest that Iran has ever tested a hypersonic ballistic missile.
Hypersonic missiles are not only capable to traveling over five times faster than the speed of sound, at a rate of 3,800 mph, but are also able to travel on complex trajectories that make them difficult to defend against, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
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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 top official in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard come as Western-Iranian ties are increasingly strained over Tehran’s supply of drones to Russia and their use in Ukraine.
“This missile has a high speed and can maneuver in and out of the atmosphere. It will target the enemy’s advanced anti-missile systems and is a big generational leap in the field of missiles,” commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh said, according to Reuters.
Russia has reportedly launched “multiple” hypersonic missiles in Ukraine, top U.S. defense officials said earlier this year.
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The U.S. responded by testing its own hypersonic missiles in July following reported concerns that Russia, China and North Korea were surpassing Washington’s missile capabilities.
It is unclear how many hypersonic missiles Russia has in its stocks, but as the war in Ukraine enters a ninth month Russian missile and tactical supplies have drastically dwindled and prompted Moscow to look to nations like Iran to help arm its troops.
Drone supplies to Russia are not the only international defense sector that Tehran has become embroiled in.
Last week Iran announced that it had tested a three-stage space launch vehicle, dubbed the Ghaem 100, which could launch satellites weighing up to 180 pounds into orbit.
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U.S. officials condemned the move as “unhelpful 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 attempting to develop its nuclear capabilities as Western nations look to bring Tehran back under a nuclear nonproliferation agreement.
