Iran unveils bomb-carrying combat drone with 1,250-mile range named ‘Gaza’ in honour of ‘those standing against invasion of the Zionists’

• Iran unveiled a 1,250-mile range bomb-carrying combat drone named ‘Gaza’
• State media report the drone can fly for up to 35 hours and carry 13 bombs
• Drone named Gaza in honour of ‘those standing against invasion of the Zionists’

Iran has unveiled a brand new 1,250-mile range combat drone, named ‘Gaza’, in honour of Palestine’s struggle against Israel, state media has reported.

Iran has a large missile and drone programme, regarding such weapons as an important deterrent and retaliatory force against the United States and other adversaries in the event of war. 

The West sees Iran’s missiles both as a conventional military threat to regional stability and a possible delivery mechanism for nuclear weapons should Tehran develop them. Iran denies trying to build nuclear arms. 

The Revolutionary Guards said the new drone was capable of flying for 35 hours and carrying 13 bombs and 500 kg (1,100 lbs) of electronics equipment, the state news agency IRNA reported.

Iran has unveiled a brand new 1,250-mile range combat drone, named ‘Gaza’, in honour of Palestine’s struggle against Israel

The head of the Revolutionary Guards, Major General Hossein Salami, said the new drone was named ‘Gaza’ in honour ‘of those in that land who stand today against the invasion and aggression of the Zionists’, the Guards’ website reported.

Although leaders of Palestinian militant groups in Gaza, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have frequently praised Iran’s financial and military support, Tehran has usually not given public confirmation of its weapons supply.

But Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last year hailed Tehran’s supply of arms to Palestinians.

A truce between Israel and Hamas took hold on Friday after the worst violence in years.

President Joe Biden took credit for the ceasefire and promised to ‘replenish’ Israel’s Iron Dome defense system to help ensure ‘security in the future.’

The Revolutionary Guards said the new drone was capable of flying for 35 hours and carrying 13 bombs and 500 kg (1,100 lbs) of electronics equipment, the state news agency IRNA reported

Biden thanked his Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, National Security Advisor and other members of the team for their ‘incredible efforts to bring this outcome we’re about to see.’

‘We’ve held intensive, high-level discussions, hour-by-hour, literally,’ he said in brief remarks Thursday evening from the White House’s Cross Hall. ‘With the aim of avoiding the sort of prolonged conflict we’ve seen in previous years when hostilities have broken out.’

Biden said he had just spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And said he had spoken to Netanyahu six times overall during the conflict.

‘I commended him for the decision to bring the current hostilities to a close within less than 11 days,’ Biden said. ‘I also emphasized what I’ve said throughout this conflict, the United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks from Hamas and other Gaza-based terrorist groups that have taken the lives of innocent civilians in Israel.’

Biden said Netanyahu shared his appreciation for Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.

‘Which our nations developed together and which has saved lives of countless Israeli citizen of Arab and Jew,’ Biden said.

‘I assured him my full support to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome system to ensure its defenses and security in the future,’ the president added.

Biden also pledged that the U.S. would work with the United Nations and other international stakeholders to repair the damage to Gaza.

President Joe Biden spoke briefly from the Cross Hall about the ceasefire set to begin between Israel and Hamas

He said the U.S. would be dealing with the Palestinian Authority and not Hamas, responsible for launching the recent attacks.

‘I believe the Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live safely and security and enjoy equal meaures of freedom, prosperity and democracy,’ Biden said. ‘My administration will continue our quiet, relentless diplomacy toward that end.’

‘I believe we have a genuine opportunity to make progress and I’m committed to working for it,’ he added.

Despite this, fresh clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians broke out around Temple Mount and in the West Bank just hours after a fragile ceasefire with Hamas was declared.

Israeli police fired tear gas at Palestinians attending Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque who hurled rocks in response, following a ‘victory’ parade through Jerusalem in which they chanted pro-Hamas slogans.

Meanwhile, celebrations in the West Bank also turned into violent protests with Israeli security forces firing teargas at Palestinians near Bethlehem.

The flash-points provided and early test for a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas which only came into force at 2am today, following 11 days of fighting that killed 244 people.

Despite the clashes the truce held through Friday morning, with no rocket or bombing attacks reported.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet approved a unilateral ceasefire to halt an 11-day Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip

Both sides have declared victory and threatened to quickly resume hostilities if the situation deteriorates again – with Benjamin Netanyahu saying he is ready to respond ‘with a new level of force’.

Meanwhile Hamas said ‘our finger is on the trigger’ if Israel crosses a ‘red line’, pointing to violence around Al-Aqsa mosque as an example.

Netanyahu is facing criticism from his right-wing base that fighting with Hamas was ended too early, before the IDF was able to take out any of its top targets in Hamas’s leadership.

But the Israeli Prime Minister hit back in a speech, saying Hamas had paid ‘a heavy price’ while claiming 200 fighters had been killed in Israeli airstrikes and shelling that had also destroyed 62 miles of tunnels and severely limited the group’s abilities to launch rocket attacks.

Rockets are launched towards Israel from Gaza City, controlled by the Palestinian Hamas movement, on May 18, 2021 

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