On Thursday, according to state media, Iran's defense ministry delivered more than 200 new drones to the Iranian Army, equipped with missile capabilities and electronic warfare systems.
During a televised ceremony, Defense Minister Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani handed over "more than 200 long-range strategic drones" to army chief Abdolrahim Mousavi, as reported by the official news agency IRNA. The drones, produced by the Iranian defense ministry, are intended for reconnaissance and strike missions and are capable of carrying air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, according to IRNA.
On March 21 the U.S. military accused Tehran backed militant groups of sending an Iranian made drone to attack U.S. forces in Syria that left a U.S. contractor dead and wounded five American troops. In April the Israeli military accused Iran of supplying a drone flown from Syria that breeched Israeli airspace.
After Ukrainian authorities spotted Iranian-made kamikaze drones being used by Russia, the U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions on Tehran. Despite Tehran's denial of supplying drones to Russia amid its ongoing war against Ukraine, numerous reports have suggested that Moscow has purchased hundreds of drones and plans to build a factory to manufacture at least 6,000 drones based on Iranian designs.
