Iran’s Revolutionary Guards test armed drones near Strait of Hormuz – report

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps is holding a drill near the strategic Strait of Hormuz to test dozens of Iranian-made drones, including armed drones, semi-official ISNA news agency said on Thursday. It’s the first time such a high number of offensive drones are being used in a drill, according to the report. It says the drones flew for about 1,000km (620 miles) then hit their targets. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh of the Guard’s aerospace division was quoted as saying that Iran has the region’s biggest offensive drone fleet. In 2014, Tehran reverse-engineered a Lockheed Martin RQ-170 drone it captured three years earlier, producing a domestic version of the RQ-170, modified to carry out both bombing and reconnaissance missions, AP said. The maneuvers are being held amid re-imposed US sanctions on Iran’s oil sector.