Iran has displayed hundreds of domestically produced combat drones at war games held in central Semnan province, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
The Iranian armed forces also reportedly successfully test-fired an Azarakhsh (Thunderbolt) air-to-air missile fired from a Karrar-class drone during the second day of the January 5-6 drills.
The military display and exercises come after warnings from Iranian officials that US President Donald Trump and Israel may attempt to find a pretext for attacking the Islamic Republic during Trump’s final days in office, which end on January 20.
The threat posed by Iran’s military drones to US forces is not limited to surveillance and the firing of missiles. US defence officials have also briefed Western media that some of the Iranian drones could potentially be loaded with explosives and deployed in "kamikaze" strikes.
“The fingers of our heroic armed forces are on the trigger, and if enemies commit the slightest mistake, the armed forces will surely respond fiercely,” said Mohammad Baqeri, chief of staff of the armed forces, as quoted by Iranian state media.
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