Israel To Laser In On Iranian Drone Threat As Biden Visits

Moments after US President Joe Biden touches down in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, the Israeli military will show him new hardware it says is essential to confronting Iran: anti-drone lasers. While Israel has long been known for its efforts to thwart Tehran's nuclear ambitions, Israeli officials have increasingly been sounding the alarm over Iran's fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This month, the Israeli military said it had intercepted a total of four unarmed drones headed for an offshore gas rig. It said the drones were Iranian-made and launched by the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which is backed by Tehran. This image grab from a video released by the Israeli army spokesperson's unit on July 2, 2022, reportedly shows a drone launched by Lebanon's Hezbollah movement that was headed towards an offshore gas field in the Mediterranean Photo: AFP As concerns mount over drone warfare, Israel hopes the new "Iron Beam" system will secure its skies. While not yet operational, the military hardware was described as a "game-changer" in April by then-prime minister Naftali Bennett.