At a military display on Saturday, Iran debuted a new ballistic missile and an improved one-way attack drone, according to state media, amid rising tensions in the region and accusations of arming Russia.
Iran has consistently refuted claims made by Western nations that it supplied missiles and drones to Russia for use in its conflict with Ukraine.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace unit created and produced the solid-fuel Jihad missile, which has a 1,000-kilometer (more than 600-mile) operating range, according to official news agency IRNA.
It further stated that the Shahed-136B drone is an improved model of the Shahed-136 with additional capabilities and an operational range of about 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles).
Masoud Pezeshkian, the newly elected president, witnessed the yearly march in Tehran honoring the 1980–1988 conflict with Iraq under Saddam Hussein.
“We are now so strong in defense and deterrence that no evil even considers attacking our beloved Iran,” he declared.
“We can replace the ruthless, homicidal usurper Israel, which shows no mercy to anyone, women or children, old or young, with solidarity and coherence among Islamic countries.”
Since Hamas, a Palestinian militant group backed by Iran, attacked Israel on October 7, igniting a conflict in Gaza and enticing Iranian friends from throughout the region, the Middle East has been in upheaval.
Tensions have escalated in recent days as Israel’s forces have been engaged in combat with Hezbollah, a militant organization supported by Iran, along the border with Lebanon.
Following fatal sabotage strikes on the group’s communications earlier this week, Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force lost 16 men in an Israeli air strike on its base in Beirut on Friday, according to a source close to the organization.
Earlier this month, the United States, Britain, France, and Germany imposed fresh sanctions on Iran on the grounds that it had been supplying ballistic missiles to Russia for its war effort in Ukraine.
