TEHRAN - Iranian leaders on Sunday unveiled a bomber drone with a range of up to 1,000 kilometres, touting the Islamic republic's home-grown capacity to resist attack, state media reported.
Television footage showed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad applauding as a blue cloth covering the drone -- called Karar ("Assailant") -- was removed to reveal a short aircraft marked "bomber jet" in military-green.
"This jet, before it heralds death for enemies, is the messenger of salvation and dignity for humanity," Ahmadinejad said in a speech at the unveiling in a hall at Tehran's Malek Ashtar university.
The broadcast showed the high-speed unmanned aircraft in flight, while Fars news agency quoted Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi as saying the drone had a range of up to 1,000 kilometres (620 miles).
State television said the drone was built to "carry and fire four stealth cruise missiles... and, depending on the mission, it can carry two bombs of 250 pounds (115 kilos) each or a precision missile of 500 pounds (230 kilos)."
Ahmadinejad said Iran's defence abilities "should reach a point where we can cut off the aggressor's arm before he acts, and if we miss, we should destroy him before he hits the target."
"The main message of the Karar bomber is to prevent any kind of aggression and conflict" against Iran, which is embroiled in a standoff with the West over its nuclear programme, he added.
The drone was unveiled on Iran's annual Defence Industry Day, and two days after it test-fired a surface-to-surface missile also built domestically, called the Qiam ("Rising").