An Iranian warship, Shahid Mahdavi, reportedly equipped with drones and missiles, has crossed into the Southern Hemisphere, as per Iran’s IRIB state radio on May 4.

The vessel, operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was converted from a container ship over a year ago, but its exact location remains undisclosed.

This marks the first instance of the IRGC deploying a warship on a long-range mission, Radio Free Europe has reported.

In February, Iranian forces conducted a test-launch of medium-range missiles with a range of approximately 1,700 kilometers, signaling an advancement in their military capabilities.

Written by B.C. Begley