The Iranian Armed Forces showcased domestically-produced weapons, including a modernized Shahed-136B drone and new ballistic missile, at a military parade in Tehran on Sept. 21, according to Iran's state news agency.
Iran is a key weapons supplier to the Russian military and has provided Moscow with thousands of Shahed kamikaze drones since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Tehran unveiled the new drone and missile along with other homegrown missiles during a Sept. 21 parade, kicking off a week of demonstrations honoring the Iranian military.
The Shahed-136B is reportedly an upgraded version of the Shahed-136, a type of drone used by Russia in near-daily attacks against Ukraine. The new version has a range of 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles), according to Iran.
Iran's "Jihad" ballistic missile is a solid-fuel missile with an operational range of 1,000 kilometers (over 600 miles). The new weapon was unveiled at the parade, where it was one of 21 ballistic missiles on display.
The U.S. on Sept. 10 confirmed that Iran had shipped Fath-360 ballistic missiles to Russia. The Fath-360 is a close-range ballistic missile with a 150-kilogram warhead.
Ukraine and some Western countries imposed new sanctions against Iran following reports of the missile transfer.
Moscow and Tehran have deepened their military and political cooperation since February 2022.
Asami Terajima
