Israel’s Alma Center for Research and Education reported in a tweet that technical members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), experts in Muhajer 4 and Ababil 3 suicide drones, may have arrived from Damascus airport to the military base in Hama where drones of this type are stored.
The drones have gone from a marginal phenomenon to an “escalating threat” in Israel’s eyes, after Hamas, Hezbollah, and pro-Iranian military groups have begun using them against Israel and its allies in the region, including Gulf states and U.S. forces at the al-Tanf base in Syria.
In July, the Israeli military intercepted three drones launched by Hezbollah towards the platform of the Karish gas field in the Israeli-controlled Mediterranean. A report by the Institute for National Security Research at Tel Aviv University, on Sunday, noted that although the three drones were intercepted, it was “too early to draw conclusions from this event about Israel’s capabilities in dealing with this escalating threat of drones in possession of hostile states and organizations.”
This coincides with drone exercises launched by the Iranian army on Wednesday in Iran, involving units of the land, navy, air forces and the headquarters of the Seal of the Prophets for air defense.
Spokesman for the exercises, Mahmoud Mousavi, said the drills would take place over two days in all Iranian airspace, as well as Gulf waters and the Sea of Oman. It will include testing dozens of drones, including offensive ones over a thousand kilometres, including underground bases.
Mousavi added that the exercises are aimed at strengthening deterrence and testing systems to deal with any infiltration of attack drones into the country in any possible attacks.
Israeli concern
Iranian drones in Syria are an obsession for Israel. In a report published by Hebrew Channel 12 in July, its military correspondent Nir Dvori expressed Israeli concern about the development of Iran’s drone industry and export, saying: “In recent years, Iran has been manufacturing sophisticated drones that have proven their effectiveness through strikes and targets in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and against Israeli-owned ships in the Persian Gulf.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
