Heron 1 Drone
Heron 1 DroneIDF Photo

An unfonfirmed report by Iran's Press-TV claims the IDF recently stepped up its operations in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region and is planning to deploy six unmanned aerial vehicles, intelligence agents and military consultants in the region.

According to the report, Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani has agreed to the concession in return for the admission of a number of Iraqi Kurd students to Israeli universities. Barzani reportedly approved the deployment without the permission of the central government in Baghdad.
 
Four of the aircraft will be stationed at the Khalidiyah airbase in the northern oil city of Kirkuk and two others will go to the airport in the city of Mosul, the report claimed. 
 
The report further claimed that Israeli intelligence agents and military advisers, equipped with special transmission devices, are also being sent to train security forces in Mosul.
 
Defense experts say the drones are more likely Israeli-made Heron drones operated by Turkey -- who makes extensive use of Israeli technology despite the current diplomatic spat between the two nations -- and not the IDF.
 
Turkey purchased 10 Heron drones from Israel for $183 Million in 2008.
 
Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned Israel and the US against launching a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.