US says Russian officials training on Iran drones

The United States said Russian officials started training on drones in Iran several weeks ago, in the latest sign of Russia’s intentions to purchase the systems as its assault on Ukraine continues.

“During the last several weeks, Russian officials conducted training in Iran as part of the agreement for UAV transfers from Iran to Russia,” a US official told CNN News, adding that the intelligence surrounding the training was recently declassified.

In July, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Iran was preparing to provide Russia with drones to use for its operations in Ukraine, “including weapons-capable UAVs on an expedited timeline.”

Days later, the White House released satellite imagery that showed Russian officials visiting an airfield in central Iran to view such drones.

Drones have played a major role in the Ukraine war since Russia's invasion, utilized both by Russia and Ukrainian fighters.

Iran began showcasing the Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 drones – both capable of carrying precision-guided missiles – to Russia at Kashan Airfield south of Tehran in June, according to US officials. 

Ukraine’s military has been primarily deploying Turkish-built Bayraktar UAVs to destroy Russian command posts, tanks, and surface-to-air missile systems, while Moscow uses homemade Orlan-10 drones for reconnaissance and electronic warfare, CNN reported.

But the US believes that Russia is struggling to replenish its weapons supply, leading them to turn to Iran, a growing relationship that US officials suggest exemplifies why Washington must maintain its presence in the Middle East.