Iran has reportedly used its new hypersonic gliding missile, the Fattah-2, against a fortified Israel Defense Forces command center, killing seven senior officers and numerous others.

The missile’s trajectory and speed resemble Russia’s Oreshnik used in Ukraine, supporting Iran’s claims of hypersonic attacks on Israel. While Iran had previously deployed the Fattah missile with a maneuverable reentry vehicle, the Fattah-2 - first used on February 28, 2026 - is Iran’s only missile equipped with a true hypersonic gliding warhead, The Caspian Post reports via foreign website.

U.S. and Israeli air defense systems face extreme challenges intercepting such weapons. Hypersonic gliders maneuver at altitudes of several thousand kilometers at extreme speeds, making them nearly invulnerable. The Fattah-2 strike demonstrates not only precision targeting but also the missile’s ability to gather intelligence within Israel.

Yuval Beiski, Vice President of Israeli defense technology company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, called hypersonic missiles a “new era in air defense,” proposing a zone-based model where multiple interceptors neutralize threats as they approach. However, implementing such a system could take years and tens of billions of dollars, leaving Iran’s Fattah-2 arsenal a serious threat to both Israel and the United States.