In a major boost to its deterrence capability, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Tuesday pulled the curtain on its homegrown intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile capable of travelling 15 times the speed of sound, triggering concerns among Western powers and archrival Israel.
The missile named Fattah — conqueror in the Persian language with a range of up to 870 miles (1,400km) — was unveiled at a ceremony in which President Emrahim Rahisi, Guards’ chief General Hossein Salami and other top military officials were also present.
It is expected that the Iranian development could be followed by the Western and US response as the tensions with the West are high over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
President Raisi hailed the new missile’s hypersonic capability, saying it would boost Iran’s “power of deterrence” and “bring peace and stability to the countries of the region.”
