Iran accuses enemies of using copycat drones to stage attacks on neighbours

Dubai, Mar 15: Iran’s joint military command on Sunday accused its adversaries of using imitation Iranian drones to carry out attacks in neighbouring countries and blame Tehran, according to state media reports.

In a statement, the command said copies of Iran’s Shahed-136 drone, referred to as “LUCAS”, had been used to strike targets in regional countries, including Turkey, Iraq and Kuwait. It did not provide evidence for the claim.

Tehran often uses the term “the enemy” to refer to the United States and Israel.

The military said Iran openly declares its targets, which it describes as US and Israeli interests, and urged regional countries to maintain trust and cooperation with Tehran.

The statement came as tensions continued to rise in the Middle East, with several Gulf states reporting fresh missile and drone threats on Sunday as the conflict entered its third week.

Authorities in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates warned residents that air defence systems are working to intercept incoming projectiles.

The alerts followed Iran’s call a day earlier for the evacuation of three major UAE ports, marking the first time Tehran has threatened assets of a neighbouring country not linked to US facilities.

Iran has also accused the United States of using “ports, docks and hideouts” in the UAE to launch strikes on Kharg Island, the main terminal for Iran’s oil exports.

The UAE and other Gulf countries hosting US bases have denied allowing their territory or airspace to be used for attacks on Iran.

Iranian missile and drone strikes have killed at least a dozen civilians in Gulf states since the conflict began, most of them migrant workers.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement reported by the state-run IRNA news agency, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it would pursue Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“If the criminal Zionist prime minister is still alive, we will continue to pursue and kill him with full force,” the IRGC said.

Iran’s Health Ministry said US and Israeli strikes since the start of the conflict on February 28 have killed 223 women and 202 children, according to the judiciary’s news agency Mizan. The Iranian Red Crescent has said the total death toll has crossed 1,300.

Iranian media also reported that a US-Israeli strike early Sunday hit a residential area in the southern city of Shiraz. Several homes belonging to workers and welfare-supported families were destroyed and a number of people were injured, though no deaths were reported.

Meanwhile, health officials have warned of risks from “black rain” reported in Tehran after airstrikes on Iranian oil facilities sent thick smoke into the atmosphere. Residents complained of burning eyes and breathing problems when the dark, oily rain fell near the capital.

Experts said rain can bring harmful chemicals from the air to the ground, and advised people to take precautions to avoid possible health risks.