Iran tests drones amid simmering tensions with Azerbaijan
The exercise was held at a time of intensifying hostile rhetoric between Tehran and Baku, as Russia continues its cautious position in between.
The air force of the Iranian army launched a major drill on Oct. 21 involving several bases nationwide, the latest in a series of muscle-flexing gestures by the Islamic Republic in recent weeks.
According to the Iranian army’s air force commander, Brig. Gen. Hamid Vahedi, the exercise was testing combat preparedness for bombardments and using domestically developed weapons, laser missiles and smart bombs.
Iranian media said the maneuver was carried out with a centralized command that coordinated operational units of electronic warfare, surveillance and information technology within one integrated system that also showcased reconnaissance equipment, including an advanced homegrown camera dubbed "Samat."
The drill organizers did not specify a threat or name any country. But in recent weeks, the Islamic Republic has been engaged in a bitter war of words with its northern neighbor, Azerbaijan. Iran has long expressed unease with Azerbaijan’s close ties to Israel. And recent reports that Baku was planning to purchase an Israeli missile defense system only stirred up the old concerns in Tehran. Iran’s leadership and commanders of the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have issued strongly worded statements against Baku, saying the neighbor is allowing Israeli influence and plots to be implemented in the region. Azerbaijan has dismissed such assertions.
