Iran has claimed possession of hypersonic missiles and has begun deploying them against Israel, reported news agency AP. The ongoing Iran–Israel conflict escalated on Wednesday when Iran fired a Fattah-1 hypersonic missile at Tel Aviv. The attack came shortly after US President Donald Trump demanded Tehran’s unconditional surrender.On Thursday, Iran released a video showing the launch of the Fattah-1 missile aimed at Tel Aviv. Powerful explosions were reported in both Tel Aviv and in Iranian cities like Tehran and Karaj, following multiple missile attacks and retaliatory airstrikes.
This is not the first time Iran has used the Fattah-1 missile against Israel. Last year, Iran launched about 200 ballistic missiles under “Operation True Promise II,” targeting two Israeli military bases and Mossad’s headquarters, Israel’s intelligence agency.
What is the Fattah-1 missile?
The Fattah-1 is Iran’s first home-made hypersonic ballistic missile, introduced in 2023. It is named after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to Iranian state media, the missile has a range of 1,400 kilometres and can penetrate any existing defence system. It reportedly reaches speeds up to Mach 14 (about 15,000 km/h), according to Reuters.Iranian state TV claims that Fattah-1 can target the enemy’s most advanced anti-missile defences and represents a major breakthrough in missile technology. CNN experts say that real hypersonic missiles, like glide vehicles and cruise missiles, can change direction throughout their entire flight, not just at the end. This makes them harder to track and stop.According to weapons expert Fabian Hinz, Iran’s Fattah-1 missile likely uses a “manoeuvrable reentry vehicle.” This means it can change direction during the final part of its flight, just before hitting the target, to avoid being shot down by defence systems.
What are hypersonic missiles?
Hypersonic weapons are defined as missiles that travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, which is five times the speed of sound. In modern warfare, experts say that hypersonic weapons must also be able to change direction during flight using advanced navigation systems. This makes them difficult to track and intercept using traditional missile defence systems.Unlike traditional ballistic missiles, which follow a predictable path, hypersonic missiles can fly at lower altitudes and change their direction mid-air.Jack Watling, a defence expert at the Royal United Services Institute, explained that radar systems struggle to detect hypersonic missiles in time, especially when terrain blocks their view.“They appear suddenly and leave very little time to respond,” he said.