General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Commander of the Aviation and Space Unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, said on Thursday that Iran has developed a hypersonic missile that can defeat all defence systems.

Hypersonic missiles can fly at more than five times the speed of sound, like conventional ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons. According to Iran’s Fars news agency, Hajizadeh said, “This hypersonic ballistic missile was developed against air defence shields. It will be able to overcome all missile defence systems,” said the general, adding that he believes it will take decades to develop a system that can excel this missile.

The Washington Post reported on 16^th October that Iran was preparing to send missiles to Russia, but Tehran rejected this news, calling it “completely false”. Unlike ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles fly in a low orbit in the atmosphere, potentially reaching targets faster. Today, Russia leads the missile development race, while China and the United States follow Russia.

It is also more difficult to track and defend, as a hypersonic missile is maneuverable. On the other hand, although countries such as the United States have developed systems for defence against cruise and ballistic missiles, the ability to track and destroy a hypersonic missile remains a question mark.