Iran unveils ‘longest-range drone in the world,’ threatens Israel at military parade
Event marking Iran-Iraq War includes display of numerous UAVs and missiles, Hebrew and English signs warning ‘prepare your shelters’
Iran on Friday displayed what it claimed to be “the longest-range drone in the world” during a military parade that featured banners threatening Israel.
The drone was one a number of unnamed aerial vehicles and missiles that Iranian forces showed off at an event in Tehran marking the anniversary of the bloody Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, and came weeks after Iran unveiled a drone it claimed could remain airborne for 24 hours.
State media reports on the parade did not provide details on “the longest-range drone in the world.” Iran has previously made dubious and exaggerated claims regarding its military capabilities and there was no independent confirmation of the announcement.
Friday’s parade also featured large signs declaring “Down with Israel” and “Down with USA,” as well as posters in Hebrew and English warning Israelis “prepare your shelters.”
“Our forces ensure security in the region and the Persian Gulf,” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told the parade, according to a Reuters translation of his remarks.
“We can teach the people of the region that resistance is today’s way. What forces the enemy to retreat is not submission and wavering, but resistance,” he added.
The display of drones and other military hardware came days after the United States sanctioned several people and entities allegedly linked to Iran’s drone program.
Tehran has offered a series of contradictory explanations about the drones, first denying they supplied them to Moscow and then claiming they sold drones only before the war began. However, the volume of drones used in the conflict shows a steady supply by Iran of bomb-carrying weapons in the war.
Agencies contributed to this report.
