A tournament of military drones has started in central Iran, in which Russia, Belarus, and Armenia are participating.

Iranian state television showcased footage featuring the ceremony in Kashan city, held on August 15. Dozens of representatives from four countries gathered to open the tournament, judged by members of all delegations.

The “Falconry” unmanned aerial vehicle competition was organized by the Iranian unit of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps.

The Russian military brought Orlan and Eleron reconnaissance drones to the competition.

The training of the Russian military took place at the air base in Isfahan province.

“At the airbase of Isfahan Province, Islamic Republic of Iran, training flights of unmanned aerial vehicles in preparation for the international competition have ended. Specialists of unmanned aviation as part of staff crews, representing two types of aircraft, checked the equipment and tested the equipment in extremely hot conditions, taking into account the features of the mountainous terrain,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said in his address.

The drone demonstration comes after months of US claims that Russia plans to buy hundreds of drones from Iran for use in its war with Ukraine, which Tehran denies.

Iran says it will do nothing to escalate the war in Ukraine, which it says must be resolved through dialogue, but it has also stopped short of condemning Russia.

As previously reported, Russian specialists are undergoing training in Iran on the use of locally developed drones.

The US believes that the training of Russian specialists in Iran indicates Russia’s intention to purchase Iranian equipment.

Previously, Iran showcased the Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 drones to representatives of Russia.

In July, Iran responded to accusations regarding the supply of Iranian drones to Russia. The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Nasser Kanaani, stated that cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation began even before the start of the war in Ukraine.