Iran unveils new military capabilities amid escalating regional tensions

Iran showcased a new ballistic missile and an upgraded one-way attack drone during a military parade on September 21.

This event comes amid escalating regional tensions and accusations from Western governments that Iran is supplying drones and missiles to Russia for its conflict in Ukraine — allegations Iran has consistently denied, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The newly unveiled solid-fuel Jihad missile, developed by the aerospace division of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, boasts an operational range of 1,000 kilometres (over 600 miles). The upgraded Shahed-136B drone features enhancements and has a range exceeding 4,000 kilometres (2,500 miles).

A total of 21 ballistic missiles were demonstrated at the parade, including Khaybar-buster, Fattah, Hajj Qassem, Qadr-H, Emad, Khorramshahr, Sejjil and Jahad.

Iran's new President, Masoud Pezeshkian, attended the annual parade in Tehran, which commemorates the 1980-88 war with Iraq. He declared, "Today, our defensive and deterrent capabilities have grown so much that no adversary dares to think of aggression towards our beloved Iran."

He further called for unity among Islamic countries to confront Israel, labelling it a "bloodthirsty, genocidal usurper."

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei echoed this sentiment in remarks to Muslim clerics, urging Islamic nations to sever economic ties with Israel and diminish political relations. He claimed that such inner strength could eradicate the "Zionist regime" and counter U.S. influence in the region.

Tensions have escalated since Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, leading to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and involvement from Iranian allies. The situation intensified further as Israeli forces shifted focus to confront Hezbollah along the Lebanon border, with a recent airstrike in Beirut resulting in 31 fatalities, including key Hezbollah commanders.

In response to these developments, the UK, France, Germany, and the US imposed new sanctions on Iran earlier this month, accusing it of providing ballistic missiles to support Russia's military efforts in Ukraine.