WASHINGTON : The U.S. Central Command has requested authorization to deploy Dark Eagle hypersonic missiles to the Middle East, a move aimed at targeting missile launchers located deep inside Iran, according to U.S. media reports. If approved, this would mark the first practical operational use of a hypersonic missile by the United States.
The Dark Eagle program, however, has faced repeated delays and has not yet been declared fully operational. U.S. media noted that both Russia and China have already fielded similar hypersonic technology.
The reported request stems from Iran having moved missile launchers beyond the effective range of precision strike missiles. Iranian missiles are capable of hitting targets at distances exceeding 300 miles. The request itself has not been made public.
CENTCOM Enforces Blockade, Turns Back Iranian Oil Ship
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Saturday that its forces have intercepted an Iranian tanker allegedly carrying billions of dollars’ worth of oil and gas products, marking a significant escalation in Washington’s maritime blockade against the Islamic Republic.
In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said a US Navy helicopter intercepted the vessel M/V Seven in the Arabian Sea earlier today. The ship is now “returning to Iran under surveillance in accordance with US military instructions,” the command added.
According to CENTCOM, the tanker is part of Iran’s so-called “shadow fleet” — a network of vessels that US officials say evade sanctions by concealing cargo origins, disabling tracking systems, and conducting ship-to-ship transfers at sea. The command claimed the M/V Seven was carrying “billions of dollars’ worth” of Iranian energy products destined for foreign markets.
