Israeli-operated civilian drones were used from inside Iranian territory to carry out attacks during the recent 12-day conflict with Israel, Iran’s defense ministry confirmed Tuesday, criticizing the lack of regulations governing drone use in the country.
“One of the tools used by the Zionist enemy to harm public security, residential areas, and specific parts of the country was the use of civilian drones for military purposes,” Reza Talaei-Nik, spokesperson for the defense ministry, said in a televised interview.
He blamed a lack of legal and structural frameworks governing the drone industry and its use in Iran, saying that a new law passed by Iran’s parliament aims to regulate the drone sector.
“This law will oversee the process of drone manufacturing, their operational system, and their import and export."
“Drone use must be treated like cars, with ownership documents issued by the police and flight permits obtained from the Civil Aviation Organization. The law also defines regulations for domestic drone production,” Talaei-Nik added.
Israeli media previously reported that Mossad had established a drone base inside Iran as part of a broader infiltration operation.
