Iran inaugurates new drone production line in Tajikistan

Iran said Tuesday it inaugurated a production line for manufacturing a new military drone in Tajikistan, a first for both nations.

A report by the official IRNA news agency said the ceremony took place during a visit to the Central Asian nation by Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces.

Iran's opened a drone factory in Tajikistan to manufacture Ababil-2, according to Iranian media.pic.twitter.com/91fl4lg6Vk

— Kian Sharifi (@KianSharifi) May 17, 2022

The move is seen as an effort by Iran to address the balance of power in the region: Afghanistan under its Sunni Muslim Taliban rulers poses a threat to its two neighbors, predominantly Shia Iran and secular Tajikistan.

The report said the drone is dubbed the Ababil-2 after a bird in the Quran. It is capable of carrying out attacks as well as surveillance missions from a range of 200 kilometers (124 miles) with 1 1/2 hours of flight time, the report said. It did not reveal other details such as the capacity of the production line.

The announcement marks first time that Iran has launched a military production line abroad.