Iranian warship Shahid Mahdawi crosses the equator for the first time

The Iranian warship Shahid Mahdawi, equipped with drones and missiles, has crossed the equator into the Southern Hemisphere for the first time, Iran's IRIB state radio reported on Saturday.

The report did not reveal the exact location of the Shahid Mahdawi, a converted container ship operated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that was unveiled more than a year ago.

Iranian forces in February test-launched medium-range missiles capable of reaching targets at a distance of around 1,700 kilometres for the first time.