Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan reportedly to speak at Iran drone rally

Louis Farrakhan, (l.), hung out in New York Tuesday night with new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Louis Farrakhan, the controversial leader of the Nation of Islam, is set to speak Thursday at a rally in Iran for one of its new drones, Iranian media report.

The planned ceremony marks 37 years after Iran's Islamic Revolution, in which Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini seized control from the Shah, who had gone into exile.

Both Farrahkan and Iranian president Hassan Rouhani will speak, Iran's Tasnim News Agency reports. The homegrown drone will go on display along with a ballistic missile and a satellite carrier, organizer Asghar Abkhezr told the news agency.

Farrakhan and Rouhani met for dinner as recently as 2013, in New York City.

Critics have long condemned Farrakhan, 82, for his inflammatory statements about Jews, Catholics, gays and Asians.

Speaking in 2010, he claimed "white right" would conspire to keep President Obama to one term in office. Farrakhan also said the president was manipulated into disavowing him.

Farrakhan also recently described Judaism as a "deceptive lie" and "theological error" meant to expand Jewish control of the U.S. government and economy, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.