Tehran in the midst of a technological and military race
Two rivals in a twelve-day war
In the context of the development of hypersonic weapons, which represents a strategic shift in the balance of power in the Middle East, Iran has made remarkable advances that redefine the rules of the military game in the region, challenging the superiority of the United States and Israel. This is causing increasing regional tensions and an escalation of the conflict between Iran and Israel.
In the technological and military race that the world is currently experiencing, Iran has announced in recent years the successful development of new hypersonic missiles, while the United States and Israel continue to work on similar programmes, raising questions about Tehran’s position.
These are the most advanced military technologies and very difficult to intercept, as hypersonic weapons have enormous speed and high manoeuvrability.
Despite ending in a ceasefire, the 12-day war is an intense conflict that has significantly altered the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. With the support of the United States, Israel managed to attack the industrial base of Iran’s nuclear programme. However, instability and the possibility of further clashes between the two countries will reshape the future of the region.
This photo provided by the Revolutionary Guard’s ground force on Monday, 17 October 2022, shows missile systems during a manoeuvre in north-western Iran – PHOTO/Iranian Revolutionary Guard ground force via AP
Tehran in the midst of a technological and military race
In parallel with Israel, Iran has also increased its pace of participation in the technological and military race in terms of arms purchases and production. Despite all the bombing it received in the last war, the country demonstrated that most of its underground bases, known as ‘missile cities,’ remained intact.
As a key deterrent against possible Israeli air strikes, the Iranian army is showcasing its new hypersonic missiles as the most powerful weapons of the 21st century, revealing the Iranian missile called ‘End of Time’, which has generated great controversy among military analysts.
In 2023, Iran unveiled the ‘Fateh’ series of hypersonic vehicles that reached speeds of Mach 15 and have a range of between 869 and 1,243 miles. This series of hypersonic missiles was tested for the first time in combat during the war between Israel and Iran in June 2025, penetrating defence systems to cause serious damage to military and civilian targets.
Due to their unexpected manoeuvrability in flight, the new Iranian weapons are designed to penetrate advanced air defence systems such as Israel’s Iron Dome and Arrow networks. This represents a greater strategic threat to Israel’s security in the future.
In this regard, no one can deny the significant damage and confusion that the new Iranian hypersonic missiles have caused Israeli officials. This is a clear warning to Israel of the consequences that Iran’s development of weaponry could bring.
The great threat lies in the fact that neither Israel nor the United States yet possesses an effective defence system against Iranian weapons, because the Iron Dome is not yet equipped to handle hypersonic missiles, but is designed only to intercept much slower and simpler missiles.
An Arrow 3 ballistic missile interceptor – REUTERS/AMIR COHEN
From defence to offence
After presenting the “End of Times” missile as a means of defence against Israeli aggression, Iran has demonstrated a strategic shift towards an offensive posture, in the context of both sides preparing for the next round of war.
Iran’s new hypersonic weapon is capable of carrying up to 80 warheads, each weighing 70 kilograms, bringing the total payload to an ‘enormous’ destructive capacity.
With probable speeds exceeding Mach 12 and a possible range of approximately 3,000 kilometres, the new Iranian missile allows targets throughout the region to be attacked with very little warning.
Combining ballistic trajectories and gliding stages, the new missiles reach speeds five times faster than the speed of sound and are distinguished by their ability to change course during flight. This makes them difficult to detect and intercept and capable of easily evading radar systems and missile shields.
The ‘End of Time’ covers the distance from Tehran to Tel Aviv and can reach Israeli territory in less than ten minutes, leaving very little time for defences to react and evacuations to take place. In fact, it poses a direct threat to Israel.
Iran’s capabilities are being enhanced by advances in solid-fuel propulsion technology and manoeuvrable re-entry vehicles, which could render systems such as the American Patriot or Israeli David’s Sling less effective.
US Patriot missile defence system – PHOTO/AP
Two rivals in a twelve-day war
In the current era characterised by wars and unrest around the world, another conflict broke out last June between Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran, known as the twelve-day war.
On 13 June, the Israeli Air Force launched a massive attack on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, including air bases, air defences, radars and depots. Israel also carried out several special operations and infiltrations to assassinate senior military officials and scientists linked to Iran’s nuclear programme.
In response to Israel’s air operations against military assets in the country, Iran launched barrages of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles against targets in Israeli territory.
The Israeli military operation sought to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities, achieving the opposite of what was desired; instead of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, it pushed it to consider it as a credible deterrent in its strategic confrontation with Israel.
Tel Aviv acted with determination and without restraint, striking all the actors in the so-called ‘Axis of Resistance’, Tehran’s allies: Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, justifying its ‘attack’ as a response to Iran’s nuclear programme, which Israel considers an existential threat.
The escalation between the two countries was rapid, with cross-attacks lasting 12 days, from 13 to 24 June 2025, according to the following stages:
The first day of the conflict with the start of explosions and cross-attacks.
The second day with military escalation through missiles, drones and international warnings.
The third day saw the regionalisation of the conflict due to fears of expansion and the involvement of militias allied with Iran.
The fourth day saw the continuation of attacks in parallel with emergency meetings and condemnations.
From 17 to 22 June, there were international reactions urging a ceasefire by the US, the UN and the EU.
23 and 24 June marked the most intense phase of the conflict with cyberattacks and nuclear threats, before the establishment of discreet negotiations between Iran and Israel to reach a ceasefire and declare an end to the war.
Faced with the possibility of a resumption of war, Israel is expanding the development of the Iron Beam programme as a directed energy missile defence system in response to the growing Iranian threat. For its part, the United States is working on a broader project known as the Golden Dome with a similar concept.