Iran employs drones in massive war games amid tensions with West

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – Iran’s armed forces downed hostile simulated drones on Sunday during large-scale military drills organised from the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz to the northern part of the Indian Ocean.

During the drills, condemned Zolfaghar 1401, Iran’s indigenously-developed Mersad air defense system was used to detect, intercept and target mock drones, the state media said.

Mersad has a detection range of 150 kilometers, reports cited military officials as saying.

The massive war games kicked off on Thursday night with the stated theme of “self-confidence, power, and sustainable security” amid Iran’s growing tensions with Western states and Israel.

On Saturday, homegrown drones, including Arash, Bavar and Ababil, were used to hit simulated targets at the sea coast. The low-altitude Majid missile system, with an operational range of 8 kilometers, and the Khatam artillery fire control system were also employed to target simulated objects.

At the same time, reconnaissance and combat drones, including Mohajer-6, were used to survey simulated war zones, and collect and transmit intelligence and topographic images to the joint control command center.

The war games came as US officials have warned of “alternatives” if the protracted nuclear deal talks in Vienna fail.

The stalemate in talks, underway since April 2021, has inflamed tensions between Iran and the West, further aggravated by reports about Iran’s supply of drones to Russia for use in the Ukraine war.

Iranian officials have denied the accusations, although admitting that a “limited number” of drones were dispatched to Moscow “months before the war” as part of defense cooperation between the two countries.