Iran Revolutionary Guards unveil first drone carrier in Gulf

TEHRAN: Iran´s Revolutionary Guards unveiled the country´s first drone carrier on Thursday in Gulf waters, state media reported.

The carrier, called the Martyr Bahman Bagheri, is a commercial vessel that was repurposed as a drone carrier over the past two-and-a-half years, Guards naval commander Alireza Tangsiri said during the unveiling ceremony.

Described by Tangsiri as the “largest naval military project” in the history of the Islamic republic, the carrier is capable of launching long-range missiles in addition to carrying drones and helicopters.

It is also equipped for electronic warfare, and can remain at sea for up to a year.

According to the IRNA state news agency, the vessel has a capacity of 60 drones.

During the unveiling ceremony, Guards chief Hossein Salami emphasised that Iran did not seek to threaten others, “but we will not bow to the threat of any power”.

He also stated that Iran “will not engage in any wars with the governments we recognise”.

The chief of the Iranian armed forces, General Mohammad Bagheri, who was also present at the ceremony, described the vessel as “a mobile base that can operate self-sufficiently throughout the world´s waters”.

Iran on Sunday unveiled a new ballistic missile it said was capable of reaching targets up to 1,700-kms away during a ceremony attended by President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Since the 1979 revolution and the break in ties with the United States -- which had been Iran´s main arms supporter -- Tehran has developed a series of sophisticated missiles and drones.