Iran has a hypersonic missile. What does that mean?
Al JazeeraJun 03, 2023
The Facts
Iran has achieved the technological capability to build supersonic cruise missiles, its semi-official Tasnim news agency claimed on Wednesday amid rising tensions with the US over military deployments in the Persian Gulf.
The homegrown cruise missiles are reportedly being tested and "will mark the beginning of a new chapter" in Iran's defense capabilities by significantly reducing the Iranian armed forces' response time in case of an attack.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The fact that the Iranian regime has claimed to have developed hypersonic ballistic and supersonic cruise missiles underscores its threat to the entire region. Tehran already has the largest and most diverse missile arsenal in the Middle East, with which it threatens Israel and Arab countries of the Persian Gulf. Tehran's irresponsible actions have triggered a regional arms race with incalculable consequences.
Establishment-critical narrative
The development of the supersonic cruise missile is a significant technological milestone for Tehran and impressively demonstrates Iran's high-tech capabilities. Moreover, the recent US saber-rattling in the Persian Gulf once again underscores the need for Iran to make its armed forces self-sufficient and continuously develop its military defense capabilities. Iran has every right to defend its national security interests and sovereignty in a volatile region.
Cynical narrative
Just as there's no independent confirmation of Iran's hypersonic missile, there's no evidence of its latest claim to have added a supersonic missile to its arsenal. Iran has again made dubious, unverified, and exaggerated claims regarding its military capabilities.
