Khamenei claims Iran can sink U.S. aircraft carriers with hypersonic weapons

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has claimed that Tehran possesses weapons capable of sinking US aircraft carriers, amid reports of American naval deployments near Iranian waters.

In a speech on February 17, Khamenei said, “An aircraft carrier is a dangerous machine, but even more dangerous than that is the weapon capable of sending it to the bottom of the sea.” His remarks followed reports that the US had deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike groups within striking distance of Iran.

While Khamenei did not name a specific weapon, analysts say Iran’s most formidable option could be its Fattah-class hypersonic missiles, developed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Weapon, Iran can use   

The Fattah-1, unveiled in 2023, is described as a medium-range ballistic missile with a reported range of 1,400 km and speeds of up to Mach 15. It is equipped with a manoeuvrable re-entry vehicle designed to evade missile defence systems. A newer variant, the Fattah-2, is believed to feature a hypersonic glide vehicle, capable of unpredictable flight paths.

Apart from hypersonic weapons, Iran maintains a large stockpile of anti-ship cruise missiles, estimated by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) at 1,000 to 1,200 units. These missiles form the backbone of Iran’s naval denial strategy in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

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However, experts note that US carrier strike groups possess advanced air and missile defence systems, making any attempt to sink a carrier highly challenging.