Iran hails Hezbollah’s drone attack

TEHRAN - The Associated Press

Iranian defense minister said yesterday that Hezbollah’s launch of a drone into Israeli airspace earlier this week proves the Iran’s military capabilities, state TV reported.

The statement by Gen. Ahmad Vahidi was Iran’s first official acknowledgement that the Lebanese militant group’s drone used Iranian technology. It came a few days after Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah claimed responsibility for the launch and said the drone was manufactured in Iran and assembled in Lebanon.

“Great job by Hezbollah,” Vahidi said. “The era in which the Zionist regime (Israel) could think it has regional supremacy is over.”

‘Right to strike’

Vahidi said Hezbollah had the right to launch the drone since Israeli warplanes routinely overfly Lebanon. Nasrallah warned that it would not be the last such operation by the group.

Israeli warplanes shot down the unmanned plane, but the infiltration marked a rare breach of Israel’s tightly guarded airspace. Iran routinely announces technological breakthroughs in its defense program. The defense minister reiterated Tehran’s position that Israel does not have the capability to act against Iran.