Iran unveils new loitering drone, announces drone buildup

Meloni also addressed the case of Alireza Abedini, an Iranian-Swiss detainee in Italy, noting that the matter remains under active review by the Ministry of Justice. She explained that the evaluation involves both technical and political aspects, conducted in accordance with the treaty between Italy and the United States.

"This matter requires continued discussion with our American friends," Meloni said. "I would have liked to discuss it with President Biden, who had to cancel his trip, and to whom we extend our solidarity."

Abedini, accused of transferring drone technology to Iran, was arrested at Milan Airport on a US warrant. According to Washington, the technology was used in a February attack near the Jordan-Syria border that killed three American soldiers. Iran denies the allegation.

His arrest has been linked to the detention of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was apprehended in Tehran last month while on a standard journalistic visa. Sala was released on Wednesday following diplomatic efforts.

The province, which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been a hotspot for sporadic deadly clashes involving militant groups, armed drug traffickers, and Iranian security forces.

Among the groups active in the region is Jaish al-Adl, known for ambushes, bombings, and other violent operations that have claimed the lives of civilians and security personnel.

Jaish al-Adl advocates for an independent Baluchestan, encompassing Baluch populations on both sides of the Iran-Pakistan border, and has carried out numerous attacks in southeastern Iran.

Sistan-Baluchestan is one of Iran’s least developed regions, with strained relations between its predominantly Sunni Muslim population and the country’s Shiite-led establishment.

“The cleric from the city of Ardabil has repeatedly used insulting expressions against Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani people and me,” Aliyev said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

Referring to Seyyed Hassan Ameli, the Friday Prayer Leader of Ardabil, Aliyev questioned Iran's leadership, asking, “What is his reaction, does he support this or not, and who will apologize to Azerbaijan? Will they apologize or not?”

The controversy stems from a recent event broadcast on IRIB News, where a local eulogist insulted both Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, alleging that Aliyev had engaged in a "multi-billion dollar gamble with the Israelis", with whom Baku has good relations.

In December, Azerbaijan’s ministry of foreign affairs summoned Iran’s chargé d’affaires in Baku to formally protest the incident.

A day after Aliyev's remarks, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, arrived in Baku for what Iranian media described as "security diplomacy aimed at strengthening political-security relations with South Caucasus countries."

Ahmadian is expected to meet with President Aliyev and Azerbaijani officials before continuing to Yerevan for discussions with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Long-standing disputes and security concerns

Aliyev's criticism extended to broader grievances, including Iran's facilitation of fuel transfers to Nagorno-Karabakh via Armenia, which Azerbaijan considers a violation of its sovereignty.

“We began to see that fuel trucks from Iran were regularly making trips to Karabakh from Armenia,” Aliyev said. After private efforts to stop the shipments failed, Azerbaijan made the issue public, exposing what Aliyev described as sloppy forgeries involving fake Armenian license plates on Iranian vehicles.

The Azerbaijani leader also criticized Iranian military exercises near their shared border, which he viewed as an attempt at intimidation. “If any military training is held on our border, we did the same on this side. We showed that we are not afraid of anyone,” he said.

Embassy attack and accountability

Aliyev revisited the January 2023 attack on Azerbaijan’s embassy in Tehran, labeling it an organized terrorist act. He pointed to a delayed police response and the immediate declaration of the assailant as mentally ill as evidence of a cover-up.

“We were officially promised...that the person would be sentenced to death,” Aliyev said. “But they deceived us again. The case was sent back to court for investigation. We know that death sentences in Iran are pronounced for less serious crimes and are immediately executed.”

Aliyev dismissed Iran’s expression of regret over the Ardebil cleric’s remarks as insufficient, demanding tangible consequences.

“We believe that the provincial mullah should be punished, at the very least dismissed from his post and made to apologize to Azerbaijan,” he said.

Aliyev’s remarks and Ahmadian’s visit to Baku highlight the complexity of Azerbaijan-Iran relations. While Ahmadian’s trip suggests Tehran’s interest in mitigating tensions, the outcomes of his discussions in Baku and Yerevan may shape the future trajectory of the strained ties.

Iranian political and military officials have repeatedly threatened to launch a large-scale retaliation against Israel, referring to the operation as “True Promise 3.” The codename refers to two earlier missile and drone strikes carried out against Israel in 2024.

An IRGC general who until recently was stationed in Syria told Iranian media that such an operation should have been launched earlier, and now Iran is not in a position to ignite a large-scale conflict with Israel.

"I do not know why the operation was not launched or who decided against responding to Israel," General Behrouz Esbati who heads the Iranian armed forces Cyberspace Headquarters, told the conservative Tabnak news website.

"However, as someone who was on the ground in Syria, I can say that we would be in a much better position today if Iran had retaliated against Israel's attack."

Iranian troops quit Syria last month in the face of a surprise rebel offensive which toppled the ruling Assad dynasty, Iran's faithful ally for decades.

The loss was among the heaviest to Iran's so-called Axis of Resistance in 15 months of war with Israel. Tehran describes the armed front as legitimate resistance against Israel and has been keen to avoid all-out conflict with its better armed fow.

"I believe the current situation makes it impossible to carry out Operation True Promise-3," Estate added. "Under the present circumstances, it is not in the interest of the Resistance to drag the region into a war. If we initiate a new operation, the enemy will respond with renewed attacks."

Addressing the reasons behind Assad's fall, Esbati remarked, "Assad lacked the motivation to fight. Despite Khamenei’s assurance that Iran would support him if he resisted, Assad was unwilling to engage in battle."

He also criticized Assad's military leadership, saying, "His army commanders were corrupt and accepted bribes from everyone." Esbati further accused Russia of betrayal, saying, "Russia betrayed both Assad and Iran." He added that "after Iran's first retaliation against Israeli attacks, Russia was aligned with Israel."

The Didban Iran news website in Tehran quoted also General Esmail Kowsari, an IRGC officer and member of the Iranian parliament's National Security Committee, as saying, "The Islamic Republic's hands are tied; otherwise, we would have responded to Israel and carried out Operation True Promise-3."

Highlighting the United States' $921 billion military budget, Kowsari remarked, "If we were in a better financial position, we would have launched Operation True Promise-3 and even Operation 4."

Meanwhile, Etemad newspaper cited Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who stated, "Iran must learn a lesson from Assad's fall in Syria." He added, "The Syrian army was defeated before it even considered fighting or resisting." The foreign minister warned, "Syria's defeat should serve as a lesson for us, and we must not allow the enemies to spread despair within Iran."

"The matter of Abedini is purely legal ... regardless of the (freeing of Italian journalist) Cecilia Sala. It is premature to talk of extradition, also because no formal request has been sent to our ministry so far," Justice Minister Carlo Nordio told daily La Stampa.

Abedini, accused of transferring drone technology to Iran, was arrested at Milan Airport under a US warrant in December. Washington alleges that the technology was used in a February attack near the Jordan-Syria border, which killed three American soldiers—an accusation Iran denies.

His arrest has been linked to the detention of Italian reporter Cecilia Sala, who was seized in Tehran last month while working under a standard journalistic visa and released on Wednesday.