Iran's first drone carrier joins the Revolutionary Guards' fleet

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have taken delivery of the country's first ship capable of launching drones and helicopters at sea, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday.

Amid military exercises lasting from early January to early March, Iran's armed forces have unveiled new weaponry as Tehran braces for more friction with Israel and the United States under President Donald Trump.

"The Revolutionary Guards took action to transform a commercial ship ... into a mobile naval platform capable of carrying out drone and helicopter missions in the oceans," said Navy Commander of the Revolutionary Guards Alireza Tangsiri.


The Shahid Beheshti, a former container ship, is equipped with a 180-metre (590-ft) runway and can operate without refuelling for up to one year, Tasnim said.

The ship is different from previous Revolutionary Guards warships because it can launch and retrieve larger drones such as the Qaher and Mohajer-6.

"The addition of this ship into our fleet is an important step in increasing the defence and deterrence capability of Iran in distant waters and in maintaining our national security interests," Tangsiri added.

Last month, Iran's navy received its first signals intelligence ship.