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In Pictures: Iran’s military holds first-ever drone drill

Iran shows off locally made drones one year after a US drone assassinated its top general.

One of hundreds of drones made by Iran is displayed as the country continues to be sanctioned by the US [Courtesy of the Iranian government]
By Maziar Motamedi
Published On 5 Jan 2021

Tehran, Iran – Iran’s military on Tuesday kicked off its first-ever drill for locally made unmanned aerial vehicles.

Hundreds of drones were showcased and tested as part of a two-day event held in the northern province of Semnan.

According to Mahmoud Mousavi, deputy chief of army operations, the drill included aerial targeting and destruction of objectives using air-to-air missiles, hitting land targets using bombs and missiles, and employing loitering munitions – also known as “kamikaze drones”.

“Flying the army’s naval force drones over vessels in the country’s southern waters and flying precision loitering munition to destroy long-distance high-value targets deep in enemy territory will be among other drill objectives,” he told state-run IRNA.

Announcing the drill a day earlier, deputy chief of the Iranian army, Brigadier General Mohammad Hossein Dadras, said Iran has managed to produce a variety of unnamed aerial vehicles despite United States sanctions.

“Army forces will prove they are ready to respond to any threats,” he said.

The drill comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States one year after President Donald Trump ordered the assassination of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani via a drone strike in Iraq.

Iran is still under harsh US sanctions after Trump in 2018 unilaterally left the country’s nuclear deal with world powers.

Iran unveiled hundreds of locally made unmanned aerial vehicles during a military drill on Tuesday. [Courtesy of the Iranian government]
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Iranian military officers at the starting ceremony of two days of military drills to showcase and test drones hitting air, ground and sea targets. [Courtesy of the Iranian government]
Iran holds a military drill one year after its top general Qassem Soleimani was assassinated in a US drone strike. [Courtesy of the Iranian government]
Top Iranian military officials kicked off the military drill on Tuesday and then visited an exhibition. [Courtesy of the Iranian government]
It is the first large-scale drone-only drill that the country is known to have conducted. [Courtesy of the Iranian government]
Iran's military flies a drone as part of its first-ever show of force with unmanned aerial vehicles. [Courtesy of the Iranian government]
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Iran's latest military show of force comes amid heightened tensions with the US in the region. [Courtesy of the Iranian government]
Military officers inspect drones in the northern province of Semnan. [Courtesy of the Iranian government]
Chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, Mohammad Bagheri, leads a convoy of military officials in a ceremony to mark two days of military drone drills. [Courtesy of the Iranian government]