robot operation dog
© Twitter / @mhn6712
Iran has successfully conducted its first remote surgery using a domestically developed robot which was controlled from a medical center around seven kilometers away from the operation room.

On Wednesday, in the presence of Sorena Sattari, vice-president for science and technology, the first surgery using a domestically developed device was carried out on a dog.

A vasectomy operation took place at Sina Hospital in Tehran by a remotely controlled device which was being operated by doctors at the Iran Advanced Clinical Skills Training Center, approximately seven kilometers away.

In images shared online, the dog can be seen on the operating table with observers gathered round.

The operation was conducted using Iran's 5G network. According to Iranian media, the robot has a console which a surgeon can use to control and guide the device's two robotic arms. The surgeon is given a clear view of the surgery that they are conducting through a monitor.

In recent years, Iran has been pressing forward with programs to develop domestic devices, partially necessitated by US sanctions on Tehran. Over the last year, the country has unveiled numerous pieces of military hardware designed and built in Iran, including the forward ship IRINS Makran and a drone, capable of 1200 miles of flight, named 'Gaza'.