Iran unveiled a new air defence system it says is capable of detecting missiles and drones at a range of 400 kilometres (250 miles), ISNA news agency reported.
The ‘Falagh’ is a locally overhauled version of the imported ‘Gamma’ surveillance radar, the country’s semi-official news agency ISNA said, in an apparent reference to a Russian-made system of that name.
It had been inoperable due to ‘sanctions, lack of spare parts and the inability of foreign engineers to carry out repairs’, it added.
The unveiling comes at a time of rising tensions with the United States, which have escalated ever since US President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sanctions.
Iran shot down a US Global Hawk drone with a surface-to-air missile in June for allegedly violating its airspace, which the United States denies.
