WW3 fears: Iran warns ‘fingers of heroic armed forces on trigger’ after military display – Daily Express

Iran and the regional forces it backs have increasingly relied in recent years on drones to carry out attacks in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf. The semi-official Fars news agency said the Iranian Republican Guard was testing combat drones used as bombers, interceptors and in reconnaissance missions in a two-day exercise in central Semnan province.

Mohammad Baqeri, chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, said: "The fingers of our heroic armed forces are on the trigger, and if enemies commit the slightest mistake, the armed forces will surely respond fiercely."

The drills come after Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused Donald Trump of trying to find excuses to attack Iran in his last days in office and warned Israel might also try to provoke a fresh war in the Middle East.

The exercises coincided with increased tensions between Iran and the US two days after the first anniversary of the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike at Baghdad airport and two weeks before Joe Biden takes office.

Iran has developed a large domestic arms industry in the face of international sanctions and embargoes barring it from importing many weapons.

Western military analysts say Iran sometimes exaggerates its weapons capabilities, though concerns about its ballistic missiles contributed to Washington leaving the nuclear pact.

The Pentagon believes Iran-linked militia in Iraq have stepped up their surveillance of US troops and bases in the country by using off-the-shelf, commercially available drones.

READ MORE:World War 3: Warning of 'dire Iran counter-attacks' amid US tension

Beyond surveillance, Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can drop munitions and even carry out a kamikaze flight where they load it up with explosives and fly it into something.

Yemens Iranian-backed Houthis have significantly increased their UAV attacks in recent months, bombing airports and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, a main rival of Iran.

Security analysts said the increased use of drones by Iran or its allies is a strategy aimed at pushing back and defending against pressure from the US and regional enemies such as Saudi Arabia and Israel.

One US official said: We have seen an uptick in drone activity in Iraq near our bases and facilities.

Certainly the drones that we have seen are more of the commercial off-the-shelf variant. So theyre obviously a deniable type UAV-activity in Iraq.

More:

WW3 fears: Iran warns 'fingers of heroic armed forces on trigger' after military display - Daily Express