Russia was preparing to provide Iran with thousands of modern drones, including 5,000 short-range fiber-optic-guided drones that are difficult to detect and jam, and was also going to train the Iranian military to use them against American forces in the Persian Gulf.
Points of attention
- Russia was planning to equip Iran with modern drones, including 5,000 fiber-optic drones, to be used against American forces in the Persian Gulf.
- The secret plan involved supplying Iran with both short-range fiber-optic drones and long-range drones with Starlink satellite guidance.
Russia planned to provide Iran with drones and instructors
This is reported by The Economist, citing a confidential document obtained from a reliable source.
It is noted that the secret plan involves Russia providing Iran with 5,000 short-range fiber-optic drones, similar to those used in the war in Ukraine, an unknown number of long-range Starlink satellite-guided drones, and training Iranian personnel in the use of both types.
The 10-page document, allegedly prepared by Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU), contains six diagrams and a map depicting islands off the coast of Iran.
It is believed that the plan was drawn up early in the war, when the possibility of an American ground invasion of Iran seemed real, for the potential capture of Kharq Island, an important oil terminal.
The document proposes recruiting drone operators from among the estimated 10,000 Iranian students studying at Russian universities. Other communities that could potentially be tapped include Tajiks, who speak both Russian and Persian, and the Alawite minority in Syria, loyal to the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad.
This is the first evidence that Russia was prepared to supply Iran with innovative weapons in large quantities to inflict significant losses on American and allied forces, the publication notes.
There is currently no confirmation whether the offer was implemented and whether Iran received drones under this plan.
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