Jan 29 (Reuters) - A batch of 1,000 drones was received by the various branches of the Iranian army, semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday, amid growing tensions, with the U.S. President Donald Trump warning of an attack if Tehran refuses a nuclear deal.

The face-off has sent diplomatic shock waves across the region, with calls for negotiations to defuse tensions drawing in key regional actors.

Turkey steps in as US and Iran trade threats, with Trump warning of tougher strikes and Tehran signalling openness to talks.

With Russian ground troops bogged down in a grinding war of attrition, Moscow is striving to press home its advantage in the skies – through an ever-evolving army of drones, courtesy of Iran. In early January,

US President Donald Trump declared time was running out to avoid a US military operation against Iran, but did not rule out a new deal on its nuclear programme

The US-Iran standoff has reached a critical juncture, characterised by aggressive US military mobilisation and demands for a new nuclear deal

Iran announces the deployment of 1,000 new multi‑role military drones across all branches of its armed forces, dramatically expanding its strike, reconnaissance, and electronic‑warfare capabilities as tensions with the United States and Israel grow.

Iran threatened Thursday to unleash “hazardous consequences” after the European Union formally designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Western powers.

USS Abraham Lincoln strike group approaches Middle East amid warnings that Iranian drone capabilities worth "tens of millions of dollars" threaten U.S. naval vessels.