TEHRAN, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Iran's army said Thursday it has inducted 1,000 strategic drones into the combat formations of its four military branches, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The drones were developed by army specialists in cooperation with the defense ministry to address evolving threats and incorporate lessons learned from the "12-day war," Tasnim said.
The announcement followed a U.S. deployment earlier this week of a carrier-led strike group to the Middle East. Tensions between Tehran and Washington have been rising as the United States steps up its rhetoric and warnings toward Iran. ■
