Iran unveils Conqueror ‘hypersonic missile’, amid tensions with US
- Tehran claims the new weapon can travel at 15 times the speed of sound; it appears to have a movable nozzle, which could allow it to evade air defences
- The missile was unveiled in a tightly choreographed segment on state TV, and no footage was released of it successfully launching and striking a target
Iran claimed on Tuesday that it had created a hypersonic missile capable of travelling at 15 times the speed of sound, adding a new weapon to its arsenal as tensions remain high with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
The new missile – called Fattah, or “Conqueror” in Farsi – was unveiled even as Iran said it would reopen its diplomatic posts on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia after reaching a detente with Riyadh following years of conflict.
The tightly choreographed segment on Iranian state television apparently sought to show that Tehran’s hard-line government can still deploy arms against its enemies across much of the Middle East.
“Today we feel that the deterrent power has been formed,” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said at the event. “This power is an anchor of lasting security and peace for the regional countries.”
General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s aerospace programme, unveiled what appeared to be a model of the missile. Hajizadeh claimed the missile had a range of up to 1,400km (870 miles).