Missile barrage on Israel: What were the 'hypersonic' weapons used by Iran?

Left: Debris of a hypersonic missile booster found in Israel following the October 1, 2024 attack by Iran. Middle: Propaganda image published by Iran's IRGC showing the launch of an Emad ballistic missile toward Israel. Right: A suspected hypersonic missile hit a target in the north of Tel Aviv. © Observers

On October 1, 2024, Israel faced one of the largest missile barrages in modern history. Iranian state media said the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched around 200 ballistic missiles of various types at Israeli targets, including so-called "hypersonic” missiles. Hypersonic missiles, already in use by Russia, China, the United States and other nations, represent a new generation of ballistic missiles that are more difficult to intercept and more destructive upon impact.

Dozens of videos rapidly shared on social media captured scenes of multiple missiles in the sky over Israel Tuesday night, some intercepted by Israel's highly regarded missile-defence system, others exploding on impact.