US Defense Intelligence Agency has issued a warning that Iran is quickly overtaking other nations in the production of low-cost, military-grade drones.
In order to showcase its drone capabilities,
analysts claim Tehran is utilising Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As a result,
Tehran has emerged as a crucial supporter of President Vladimir Putin's
military campaign.
The Shahed 131 and 136 single-use drones, which
were used to conduct kamikaze missions, as well as the Mohajer-6, which was
used for airstrikes and reconnaissance, are believed to have been provided to
Russia by Iran.
After a military mission from Moscow visited
Tehran in November to inspect Iran's drone inventory, The Guardian reported
last week that Iran had smuggled at least 18 drones to Russia.
Iran claims that Russia is using its drones
for military operations in Ukraine, but the US government thinks it has enough
proof, including video and pictures of drone debris, to push for tougher
international sanctions against Tehran.
Following the seizure of a drone and other
components by members of the Royal Navy's HMS Montrose in February of last
year, the UK submitted evidence to the UN on Monday that Iran had also sent
combat drones to the Houthi militia in Yemen, in violation of UN resolutions.
US analysts have linked photographs of drone
attack debris in Ukraine to photographs of well-known Iranian drone models,
some of which are openly accessible from Iranian government sources.
"What we have seen is highly recognisable
debris from two very different geographical places that have originated from
the same source," a US official told The Guardian.
In recent years, Iranian drones have been
utilised in a rising number of diverse and ambitious strikes, including
assaults on Saudi Arabia's oil industry and the 2021 attack on the Mercer
Street Tanker.
Following the events in Ukraine, US analysts
think Iran is prepared to expand its drone programme and engage in a full-scale
conventional conflict.
Comments
Post a Comment