Iran developing supersonic cruise missile amid tensions with US

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – The chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Saturday Tehran is developing supersonic cruise missiles capable of tracking satellites with radars on the ground.

Gen. Hossein Salami said the IRGC has the technical know-how to track satellites with radars on the ground and target ships cruising thousands of miles away.

He said that cruise missiles are not as quick as supersonic missiles as their flight path follows a low-altitude trajectory so the IRGC plans to develop supersonic cruise missiles.

The top IRGC commander hit out at the US, accusing it of launching military, strategic and economic war against Iran while asserting that Iranian forces have expanded their presence to the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

His remarks came hours after the IRGC announced they have developed a long-range cruise missile in a move that is likely to inflame tensions with the West.

IRGC Navy commander Amirali Hajizadeh told state TV late on Friday that a cruise missile with a range of 1,650 km has been added to the country's missile arsenal.

The state TV also broadcast a film showing the missile named “Paveh” striking a mock target.

"We are now capable of targeting American aircraft carriers at a 2,000-kilometer distance," Hajizadeh noted, saying they did not intend to kill "poor (US) soldiers" at a military base in Iraq in January 2020 in retaliation for the killing of top Iranian military general Qassem Soleimani.

"God willing, we are looking to kill (Donald) Trump, (Mike) Pompeo, (General Kenneth) McKenzie and military commanders who issued the order (to kill Soleimani), " he told the state TV.

Iranian officials have repeatedly vowed to take revenge for Soleimani's killing in a US airstrike, contributing to tensions.

The rapid development of the country's missile arsenal in recent years has also fueled tensions between Tehran and Western countries.

Earlier this month, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna called for a stronger "international response" to Iran's missile proliferation in a phone call with her American counterpart Antony Blinken.

Iran maintains that its missile program is non-negotiable and a means of deterrence.