TEHRAN — Iran unveiled a long-range unmanned bomber Sunday, the latest in a series of announcements about new Iranian military advances as tensions rise over Tehran’s nuclear program, The New York Times reports.

Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, at a ceremony to mark Iran’s Defense Industry Day, called the weapon a “messenger of glory and salvation for humanity” but an “ambassador of death” for Iran’s enemies.

The new aircraft, called Karrar or destroyer, can carry up to four cruise missiles and has a range of 620 miles, according to reports on state-owned media, not long enough to reach Israel.

The Karrar drone is the third such unmanned military aircraft to be announced this year and the second new weapon that Iran has unveiled in a matter of days. The United States and Israel have said they would not rule out an airstrike to stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb, and while Iran has continued to hold out the possibility of compromise, it has also showed off new long-range missiles, submarines and plans to launch high-altitude satellites.

“This is just the beginning,” Mr. Ahmadinejad told military officials. “Today the defense of Iran is identical with the defense of the existence of humanity.”


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