Iran claimed this Thursday, November 10 to have manufactured a hypersonic missile capable of to pass through all missile defense systems ”, arousing the concern of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at a time when negotiations on the country’s nuclear program are at a standstill.
The hypersonic missile, a maneuverable weapon, travels at speeds in excess of 6,000 kilometers per hour, five times the speed of sound. Unlike ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles fly low in the atmosphere and are manoeuvrable, which makes their trajectory difficult to predict and their interception difficult.
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” This hypersonic ballistic missile can counter air defense shields said General Amirali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Aerospace Force of the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s ideological army. It will be able to pass through all missile defense systems and I don’t think there will be a technology to deal with it for decades. “, he assured, quoted by the agency Fars.
IAEA boss worried
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said the announcement ” heightened concerns about Iran’s nuclear program. ” The heart of our work is nuclear, but of course nothing can be taken in isolation. We see all these announcements heightening concerns, raising public awareness about Iran’s nuclear program “, Rafael Grossi told AFP during an interview on the sidelines of COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. He added, however, that this announcement does not “ should have no influence on the negotiations around Iran’s nuclear program.
What future for the Iran nuclear deal?
The Iranian announcement comes as Westerners have been trying for more than a year to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between the major powers and Tehran. This agreement aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring atomic weapons in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions has been in disrepair since the unilateral withdrawal in 2018 of the United States under the presidency of Donald Trump, which has led to the progressive release by Tehran of its obligations. Negotiations, already deadlocked, now seem impossible.
In Vienna, the IAEA reiterated, in a report consulted by AFP on Thursday, its ” deep concern » on the fact that there is « still no progress in discussions with Iran on the issue of three undeclared sites where traces of enriched uranium have been found.
(With AFP)