Shahed 131

Iran’s Support for Russia and Lessons Learned from Ukraine

Iran displays missiles and drones at Baghdad military expo

An Iranian delegation led by the country’s Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) attended the 13th International Defense Exhibition (IQDEX) in Baghdad on April 20, boasting of a range...

U.S. Sanctions China-Based Front Companies Procuring Drone Components for Iran

Beijing finds itself in the crosshairs as Washington tightens the vise on Tehran. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned six entities on February 26 for procuring components for unmanned aerial vehicles...

Iran Expands Ballistic Missile Facilities as NATO Meets in Washington

In another indication of Iran’s increasingly aggressive stance, Reuters reported on July 7 on satellite images showing that Tehran has expanded two facilities to increase the production...

Why 2024 is the ‘year of the drone’ after Iran’s attack on Israel

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Russia and Iran Agree to Deepen Security Ties

Russia is ready to expand military and technical cooperation with Iran, the Russian state-owned media outlet RIA Novosti reported on April 26. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu...

The Despotic Duo

Russo-Iranian Cooperation and Threats to U.S. Interests

Drone Fragment Offers Clue About Russia’s Shahed-136 Production Rate

Russia attacked Ukrainian port infrastructure and military facilities in a series of missile and drone strikes over the last few days. Markings seen on a Shahed-136 kamikaze...

Supporting Israel and Ukraine Against Terror

Iran and Belarus Sign Defense Cooperation Agreements  

The Iranian and Belarussian defense ministers met in Tehran on July 31 to sign a pair of defense cooperation agreements. While details about the accords are scarce, Minsk may be looking to Tehran for...

More Evidence That Russia’s Making Iranian Drones

Ukrainian outlet Defense Express last week published photos of what appears to be a Russian-made version of Iran’s Shahed-136 one-way attack drone. This revelation builds on recent evidence, highlighted by FDD’s...

EU, UK Reportedly Say They Will Keep Missile Sanctions on Iran in Place

Latest Developments  The European Union and the United Kingdom have told Iran that they do not plan to remove sanctions on entities connected to Tehran’s missile and nuclear programs on October...

Biden’s Renewed Push for Iran Deal May Help Russia in Ukraine

The Biden administration appears to have renewed its push for an interim nuclear deal with Iran that would secure partial concessions on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief,...

Further Evidence Emerges of Iran’s Support for Russia’s War in Ukraine

Citing sources in Iran, The Guardian reported on Sunday that Tehran has smuggled more drones to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine. Russia reportedly received a dozen Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) as well as six Mohajer-6 drones, primarily used for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance missions. Tehran reportedly delivered the weaponry last November along with more than 50 Iranian technicians to help the Russian military integrate the systems.

Iran, Russia Expedite Building Drone Factory in Russia

Latest Developments  Moscow and Tehran are moving forward with a project to build an Iranian-designed drone production facility in Russia, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing officials...

How to help Kyiv go on a drone offensive

Russia and Iran are planning to build a factory within Russia to produce thousands of Shahed-136 drones, which Moscow will use to continue its campaign to destroy Ukraine’s critical infrastructure....

Treasury Sanctions Leaders of Iranian Drone and Missile Companies

Latest Developments The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned six executives and board members of one of Iran’s top drone manufacturers, Qods Aviation Industries (QAI), on Friday for their role in providing...

Iran Aids Russia’s Imperialist War Against Ukraine

Tehran has agreed to help Moscow produce hundreds or even thousands of Iranian drones in Russia, according to new intelligence reports cited by The Washington Post and CNN. This agreement could boost...

Despite Iran Providing Arms to Russia, U.S. Still Considering Sanctions Relief for Iran

Russia conducted strikes against targets across Ukraine over the past week using drones acquired from Iran. These Iranian drones — including the Shahed-136, the Shahed-131, and the Mohajer-6 — have enhanced Russia’s ability to conduct strikes against the Ukrainian military, critical infrastructure, and civilian targets. Despite the U.S. and EU’s imposition of sanctions on Iran for transferring the drones, Kyiv’s allies in London, Paris, Berlin, and Washington have not rescinded their offer of other sanctions relief to Iran as part of a revived nuclear deal. They have also refrained from snapping back prior UN sanctions on Iran that would restore the UN arms embargo and maintain key missile restrictions indefinitely.

Iranian Shahed-136 Drones Increase Russian Strike Capacity and Lethality in Ukraine

Russia has conducted dozens of strikes against civilian and critical infrastructure targets across Ukraine over the past week, including with the Shahed-136 loitering munition. While the Shahed-136...