The Biden administration began a program aimed at damaging Iran’s ability to produce attack drones and transfer them to Russia for the war in Ukraine. This was reported today (Wednesday) in the New York Times. According to the report, the American military forces are helping Ukraine to damage the various sites where the drones are housed and from which they are launched by Russia.
Locating the places where the drones are housed in Russia is not an easy task, because the Russians move the launch and storage sites sometimes urgently, from soccer fields to parking lots. The drive to deny Iran critical parts for the drones has already proven as difficult as the decades-old drive to deprive Iran of the components needed to enrich uranium.
One of the Iranian companies designated by Great Britain, France and Germany as a key manufacturer of one of the two types of drones purchased by the Russians, Qods Aviation, appeared for years on the UN’s supplier lists for Iran. This is how the company, which is owned by the Iranian army, expanded its line of drones despite the sanctions.
In an effort to stop the drone attacks, Biden turned to Israel-Iran history for advice on the matter. In a video call with senior national security officials last Thursday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan discussed with the White House Iran’s growing military relationship with Russia.
The Biden administration’s struggle to deal with the drones comes at a significant moment in the war, just as Ukraine is using its drones to strike inside Russia. Officials in Washington and London warn that Iran may supply Russia with additional missiles.