A fresh intelligence report from a nation that regularly watches Iran’s weapons programme claims that Iran and Russia have agreed to start producing attack drones in Russia.
After the original deal was reached earlier this month, Iran is starting to send Russia the plans and parts for the drones, according to a source familiar with the evaluation.
According to US officials, Russia acquired hundreds of drones from Tehran that caused havoc in Ukraine.
The Iranian government officially acknowledged earlier this month that it had delivered a few drones to Russia in the months prior to the start of its war of Ukraine.
“Some western nations have charged Iran with supplying drones to aid in the conflict in Ukraine. In the months prior to the outbreak of the Ukraine War, we did give Russia a few drones,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told reporters in Tehran.
The aim, according to the source, is for Russia to manufacture thousands of brand-new attack drones using Iranian parts and plans. The insider stated that if the two nations move forward with their plan at full speed, production is anticipated to start in a few months and it’s feasible that Russia would employ the drones on the battlefield in Ukraine next year.
It would be an action that would strengthen the alliance between Tehran and Moscow and probably incite a great deal of resentment among Ukraine and its western friends, notably the US.
The accord was initially revealed by The Washington Post.
The initiatives follow reports from AWN and other media sites that Iran was getting ready to ship more weaponry, such as surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missiles and additional attack drones to Russia before the end of the year.
According to the individual familiar with the assessment, the stories raised concerns in Iran, which may have led the regime to reevaluate its strategy and decide to have Russia manufacture the drones rather than Iran transmit them directly.
When compared to the creation of other weapons, the insider said, the process for making the attack drones is not difficult.
AWN has contacted the Iranian mission at the UN and the Russian embassy in Washington for comments.
White House national security council spokesperson Adrienne Watson responded to a question about the assessment by saying, “Iran and Russia can lie to the world, but they can’t hide the facts: Tehran is helping kill Ukrainian civilians by providing weapons and aiding Russia in its operations. It’s yet another illustration of how isolated both Russia and Iran are.
“The United States, along with allies and partners, is using every available tool to uncover, prevent, and oppose Russia’s use of these munitions against the Ukrainian people as well as Iran’s provision of them. According to Watson’s statement, “We will continue to give Ukraine the essential security assistance it needs to defend itself, including air defence systems.”
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February, drones have been a significant factor in the conflict, but their use has increased since the summer, when the US and Kiev claim Moscow acquired drones from Iran. These Iranian drones have recently been used to attack vital Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Due to their ability to circle for some time in an area that has been flagged as a potential target and only strike once an enemy asset has been located, Iranian drones are known as “loitering munition.”
They are lightweight, portable, and simple to launch, but their main benefit is that they can be fired from a distance and are imperceptible.
