Iran says it has a previously secret underground air base for drones. Iranian state television showed footage of the base for the first time on Saturday: More than 100 “combat, reconnaissance and assault drones” were stationed below the Zagros Mountains in the west of the country, it said.
State television reported a visit to the facility by Iran’s chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri and army chief Abdolrahim Mousavi. The exact location of the drone base remains a secret. The reporter said he flew there by helicopter for nearly 40 minutes from Kermanshah city.
The base is “several hundred meters underground,” Mousavi said. According to state television, the flagship of the drone fleet is the “Kaman-22”, a missile-equipped drone that can fly at least 2000 kilometers.
Accusations from Israel and the US
The US and Israel have accused Iran of supplying drones to its allies in the Middle East, including the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, the government of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Iran’s Revolutionary Guards drone program in October. Washington accused the elite force of behind drone attacks on an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia in September 2019 and on a merchant ship off the coast of Oman, which killed two crew members. Iran denied the allegations.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
