Iran Unveils New Missile, Drone Amid Growing Concerns

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy unveiled new systems and weapons systems such as missiles, drones, and electronic warfare during a ceremony on Saturday.

Amid rising concerns about Iran's military activities, the IRGC showcased various types of reconnaissance, intelligence, offensive, and combat drones, support and command vehicles, as well as offense and defense systems in the electronic war domain.

According to Tasnim news agency, among the systems were a variety of cruise missile launch trucks, radar and command systems, and hundreds of cruise and ballistic missiles with ranges of 300 to 1000 kilometers.

During the ceremony, the IRGC Commander, Hossein Salami, claimed the IRGC is getting more powerful, even amidst international sanctions and pressure. He alleged that its strength has surpassed the enemy's ability to control or confront Iran's military.

Salami stated, "With a history of standing in the face of threats and dangers for decades, we have found a way to become powerful; in fact, the enemy has been the cause of our growth."

The IRGC was established shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution with the primary objective of protecting the Shi'ite clerical ruling system, but has become instrumental in Tehran regional interventions.

The US designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization in April 2019 due to charges of global terror acts, violations of armed conflict laws, assassination attempts, and support for regional terrorist groups. The European Parliament supported designating the IRGC as a terrorist group in January. However, the EU says it cannot do so until a court confirms the classification.