Iranian MPs celebrate drone attack: 'Psychological defeat' of US
Iranian Commander: Drone downing shows Iran is regional power confronting US-Zionist-Saudi alliance.
By SETH J. FRANTZMANFragments of the American drone that was shot down by Iran in the Straits of Hormuz(photo credit: Courtesy)
Iranian members of Parliament and officials are continuing to celebrate the downing of a US drone last Thursday.In a letter that Fars News published, 250 parliament members put out a statement praising the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, celebrating the downing and the “overthrow” of American technology as a “psychological defeat of the enemy after its aggressive [drone] flew into Iran’s airspace.”Iranian media has been plastered with stories about the great achievement of the Islamic republic in taking down the American Global Hawk drone on Thursday. Iran’s media may have held off on Thursday evening and Friday as it was unclear if war would break out, but over the weekend officials have gone into full patriotic mode, with endless boasts about the accomplishments of Tehran in this endeavor.The downing of the UAV “disrupted” the enemy, the 250 MPs say. In the statement, the Iranian defense system Third Khordad, which is related to the Russia’s S-300 or BUK air defense technology, was highlighted for its impressive achievement: “The overthrow of the American drone, the most advanced weapon, has shaken the American psychological warfare equations.”The statement connects the accomplishment to 28 years of Iranian military strategy and Iran’s attempts to create an indigenous weapons industry capable of confronting adversaries.In recent years, Iran has showcased new ballistic missiles, submarines, drones, cruise missiles and air defense technology. “This power has strengthened the country’s national security components,” the statement said.Iran also warned the US on Sunday to “act responsibly.” Gholamali Rashid, head of the Khatam al-Anbiya, or Central Headquarters of the armed forces in Iran, made the comments over the weekend. He praised the IRGC Aerospace Force for downing the drone, and said that the “strategic encounter” shows that Iran is a “regional power against the US-Zionist alliance and the Saudis.”Across Iranian media, other voices are celebrating the drone incident as a major confrontation between Iran and the US in which the US has lost this round. Media in Tehran have said that the drone flew from the United Arab Emirates, and have linked this to an alliance between the US and Israel and the “Gulf region” which Iran now says has been checked.Even in Qom, home to famous religious seminaries, religious proclamations have been issued congratulating the IRGC. The Qom Teachers Seminary put out a statement Sunday praising the downing of the drone, according to Tasnim News.Iran is hungry for this positive story because the sanctions have been biting and the economy is weakened. Tehran now wants to use the drone incident to distract from the government’s struggles and manifest a new patriotism around the achievement.
