On Friday, Iran announced the successful completion of an air defense drill using drones designed to intercept hostile targets. The exercise covered an area from Abadan in southwestern Khuzestan province to Chahbahar in southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan. This comes amid heightened tensions in the region.
On Thursday, Pakistan launched retaliatory strikes on terrorist hideouts inside Iran, following Tehran’s violation of sovereignty in Balochistan. The Pakistan Army, in an intelligence-based operation called “Marg Bar Sarmachar,” targeted hideouts used by terrorist organizations, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF).
The tit-for-tat strikes mark a significant cross-border intrusion, raising concerns about wider instability in the Middle East, especially since the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“Iranian forces have successfully launched a new air defense method that uses drones to intercept and target hostile targets,” stated an Iranian army spokesman, as reported by state-run Press TV. The two-day drills involved the participation of the army’s air force and navy, the aerospace force, and the navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Despite historical tensions, both Iran and Pakistan have indicated a desire to cool tensions following the recent strikes. In the broader context, Iran, along with its militia allies in the Middle East, has been carrying out attacks on Israeli and U.S. targets in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Iran has also conducted strikes on Syria, targeting alleged Islamic State sites, and in Iraq, claiming to have struck an Israeli espionage center.
