Iran unveils first naval drone division as Biden visits Mideast

Move comes a day after US, Israel signed joint declaration against Tehran

TEHRAN:

The Iranian army on Friday unveiled the first drone-carrying naval division in the international waters of the Indian Ocean amid US President Joe Biden's high-profile regional tour.

The naval division, comprising surface and submarine units, was unveiled in a televised ceremony attended by top-ranking military officials, the army said in a statement.

The first-of-its-kind division to join the army's southern fleet, it is capable of carrying different types of combat, surveillance, and suicide drones, state media said.

The development came amid Biden's maiden Middle East tour, which took him to Israel and Saudi Arabia, two of Iran's regional arch-foes, and a day after the US and Israel announced a joint declaration against Tehran.

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In the declaration, Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid reaffirmed their resolve to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, triggering angry reactions from Tehran.

It further stated that the US "affirms its commitment to work together with other partners to confront Iran's aggression and destabilizing activities.”

Iran's top military commander, Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, said on the sidelines of the unveiling ceremony that Tehran was aware of the "aggressive attitude" of the US while defending his country's efforts to bolster its "defensive capabilities.”

"If the enemies make a mistake, these drones will present them with a regrettable response," he warned, echoing the words of President Ebrahim Raisi on Thursday.

Addressing a public rally in western Iran on Thursday, Raisi vowed a "harsh and regrettable" response to "any mistake by the US or its regional allies.”

Also read: Rise of Arab-Israel axis pushes Iran to redouble nuclear talks push

In a separate statement on Friday, Iranian army spokesman Brig. Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi said "using force" against Iran will "come at a price.”

His remarks were in response to Biden's comments in an interview with an Israeli television channel that the US will use force against Iran "as a last resort" to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Tensions have dramatically escalated between Iran and the US in recent weeks, putting an ominous shadow on European Union-mediated indirect talks between them in Doha to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

Experts believe Biden's visit to Israel and the joint declaration with Tel Aviv could create fresh impediments in the nuclear deal talks, which have been underway since April last year.