(Washington) The White House said Monday it believed Russia was looking to Iran to supply it with “hundreds” of drones, including armed drones, to be used in the war against Ukraine.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said it was unclear whether Iran had ever supplied drones to Russia, but said the US had ‘information’ indicating that Iran was preparing to train Russian forces to use them as early as this month.
“Our information indicates that the Iranian government is preparing to supply Russia with up to several hundred drones, including armed drones at an accelerated time,” he told reporters on Monday.
Sullivan said it was proof that Russia’s crushing bombardment in Ukraine, which has led it to consolidate its gains in the east of the country in recent weeks, “comes at a cost to maintaining its own weapons”.
Mr Sullivan’s revelation comes on the eve of President Joe Biden’s trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia, where Iran’s nuclear program and nefarious activities in the region will be a key topic of discussion.
The US decision to publicly reveal that the two countries’ main regional rival was helping to rearm Russia comes as Israel and Saudi Arabia have refused to join global efforts to punish Russia for its invasion of Russia. Ukraine because of their national interests.
Sullivan also pointed out that Iran provided similar drones to Houthi rebels in Yemen to attack Saudi Arabia before a ceasefire was reached earlier this year.
Military analyst Samuel Bendett of the CNA think tank said Russia’s choice of Iran as a source of drones makes sense because “over the past 20 years Iran has honed its combat strength. of drones. Their drones have taken part in more battles than those of the Russians. »
They are the pioneers of “kamikaze” drones, a category of aerial weapon system in which the munition waits around the target area for a period of time and only attacks when the target is located. It is the same type of drone as the Switchblade, which the United States supplied to Ukraine.
Iran “has a proven track record of flying drones hundreds of miles and hitting their targets,” Bendett added. Including penetrating US-provided air defenses and hitting Saudi oil refineries. He believes that Iranian drones could be very effective in hitting Ukrainian power plants, refineries and other important infrastructure.
Mr. Bendett pointed out that before the war in Ukraine, Russia obtained a drone technology license for its Forpost drone from an experienced supplier: Israel. The Jewish state has remained neutral in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, so this source is no longer available to Moscow.
