The UN nuclear watchdog expressed worry when an Iranian Revolutionary Guards general said on Thursday that the Islamic Republic has created a hypersonic missile that can penetrate all defense systems.
Like conventional ballistic missiles that are capable of carrying nuclear warheads, hypersonic missiles can travel at speeds greater than five times the speed of sound.
According to General Amirali Hajizadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps aerospace unit, “this hypersonic ballistic missile was built to counter air defense shields.”
The general predicted that it would take decades for a system to be created that could intercept it, adding that it would be able to penetrate all anti-missile defense systems.
“This missile represents a huge generational leap in the field of missiles since it targets adversary anti-missile systems.”
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), expressed worry over the disclosure.
At the COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Grossi said, “We observe that all these statements enhance the attention, increase the concerns, and increase the public attention to the Iranian nuclear program.”
He went on to say that he did not believe that this would “have any influence” on talks on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
The declaration follows Iran’s admission on Saturday that it had delivered drones to Russia, but claimed to have done so before the conflict in the Ukraine.
Stalled nuclear talks
It also happens during a period of unrest that has gripped Iran ever since Mahsa Amini, a woman who was arrested on September 16 for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s dress code for women, died as a result of her injuries.
Hypersonic missiles, in contrast to ballistic missiles, fly on a low-altitude trajectory, possibly reaching targets more swiftly.