Reports from official media sources on Sunday revealed that the Iranian Navy has taken delivery of long-range cruise missiles with a range of up to 1,000 kilometers, as well as reconnaissance helicopters.
This development comes at a time when the United States has accused Iran of launching a drone attack on a chemical tanker in the Indian Ocean.
According to Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, the commander of the Iranian Navy, “The range of the cruise missile (Talaeiyeh) exceeds 1,000 kilometers, and it is an intelligent missile capable of changing targets during the mission.”
Irani further stated that reconnaissance aircraft, drones, and naval cruise missiles are among the new weapons added to the Navy’s arsenal, emphasizing that “all of this equipment has been designed and produced by Iranian military industries.”
While some Western military analysts occasionally question Iran’s capabilities, Iranian-made missiles and drones remain a pivotal component of Tehran’s military arsenal.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced yesterday that a drone sent from Iran had struck a chemical tanker flying the Liberian flag in the Indian Ocean.
This incident sheds light on the escalating regional tensions and poses a new threat to maritime shipping lanes, following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7th and Israel’s subsequent offensive in Gaza.
Iran has denied US allegations of involvement in planning attacks by the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are aligned with Tehran, against merchant ships in the Red Sea.