The U.S. military used “one-way attack” drones in its attacks on Iran over the weekend — the first time the world’s most powerful military employed the weapons in combat — ​​in what was seen as a message to allies and rivals alike.

“Task Force Scorpion Strike — for the first time in history — is using one-way attack drones in combat during Operation Epic Fury,” the U.S. Central Command wrote Saturday on X, referring to a task force participating in the joint military operation with Israel against Iranian targets. “These low-cost drones, modeled after Iran’s Shahed drones, are now delivering American-made retribution.”

An accompanying picture showed the U.S. military’s Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drone, a system derived from Iran’s Shahed-136 loitering munition, versions of which are being used by Russia in its war in Ukraine.