In order to hinder Iran’s capacity to produce attack drones and transfer them to Russia for use in the conflict in Ukraine, the Biden administration launched a program. The New York Times reported on this today (Wednesday). The article claims that American military personnel are assisting Ukraine in destroying the various Russian drone storage and launch facilities.
Finding the drone storage facilities in Russia is a difficult process because the Russians occasionally switch the launch and storage locations urgently, from soccer fields to parking lots. The effort to deny Iran essential drone parts has already proven to be as challenging as the long-running effort to deny Iran the materials required to enrich uranium.
For years, the UN’s supplier listings for Iran included Qods Aviation, one of the Iranian firms that Great Britain, France, and Germany had identified as a main producer of one of the two types of drones that the Russians had purchased. In spite of the sanctions, the firm, which is owned by the Iranian army, increased its drone lineup in this way.
Biden looked to Israel-Iran history for guidance on how to end the drone assaults. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke with senior national security officials via video chat last Thursday to discuss Iran’s expanding military ties with Russia.
At a critical juncture in the conflict, as Ukraine uses its drones to launch attacks inside Russia, the Biden administration is struggling to deal with the drones. Officials in Washington and London issue a warning that Iran could give Russia more missiles.