Tehran, Sep 13 (IANS) The Iranian army has developed an advanced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of striking the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa, Press TV reported, citing an Iranian commander.

The Arash-2 drone, with the capability to retrieve information before striking and destroying the designated target, "has been specifically designed to target Haifa and Tel Aviv," Kioumars Heydari, Ground Force Commander of the Iranian army, said in an interview on Sunday.

Describing Arash-2 as a "peerless" aerial vehicle, Heydari added that its capabilities will be showcased in future military exercises, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the report, the Arash-1, from which Arash-2 has been upgraded, first appeared in a drone exercise in 2019 as a kamikaze and radar-evading UAV. It measures 4.5-metre long, has a wingspan of 3.5-4 metre and can fly more than 1,400 km before hitting the target.

In August, the Iranian army held a large-scale drone exercise across the country.