‘CONQUEROR’

Iran Unveils Its First Hypersonic Missile

“There exists no system that can rival or counter this missile.”

Iran on Tuesday unveiled what it claimed to be its first hypersonic missile capable of flying at 15 times the speed of sound. The weapons system named Fattah—the Farsi word for “Conqueror”—was announced on Iranian state TV. “Today we feel that the deterrent power has been formed,” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said. “This power is an anchor of lasting security and peace for the regional countries.” Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s aerospace program, claimed the weapon had a range of up to 870 miles. “There exists no system that can rival or counter this missile,” he asserted. Hypersonic weapons are being developed around the world as their astonishing speed and maneuverability make them difficult to be intercepted by missile defense systems—though Ukraine in May claimed to have taken out Russian hypersonic missiles using a U.S.-made Patriot system.