TEHRAN — Russia is supplying Iran with sophisticated weapons designed to counter US military power in the Middle East, intelligence reports suggest, with Moscow delivering large quantities of new-technology armaments capable of striking US and allied forces deployed in the region.
The intelligence reports said Russian technology is undermining US military strategies against Iran. Earlier, the government of Vladimir Putin helped Iran with intelligence to identify US troop positions in the Middle East. Moscow has now offered Iran drones that are nearly impossible to jam or intercept in mid-flight. Russia has also offered to provide special military training to Iranian forces to operate the advanced drones with precision.
Citing a confidential document, the British magazine The Economist reported that Russian intelligence agency GRU has drawn up a special plan. Under the plan, Russia has offered to supply Iran with 5,000 fiber-optic drones — the same drones Moscow is using in the war in Ukraine.
The proposal also includes several long-range satellite-dependent drones for Tehran. Beyond weapons supply, Russia wants to take responsibility for training Iranian operators to fly the drones with precision. The 10-page proposal includes maps of various islands and six diagrams of drone usage.
Experts said the fiber-optic drones could pose a major headache for US defense systems. Drones typically operate via radio signals that can be jammed. But these drones are controlled directly by operators through thin wires. As a result, they do not emit any radio signals, and enemy forces cannot locate the operator. They can carry out pinpoint strikes on targets up to 40 km away. Similar drones recently appeared in Lebanon with Hezbollah, which used them against Israeli forces. Israeli officials said the drones came from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. But the source — that they originated from Russia — is now becoming clearer.
Analysis of the document showed that Russia made the offer in the early days of the war when there were rumors that US President Donald Trump might order a ground strike on Iran’s critical oil facility at Kharg Island. Russia is also preparing to send Tehran upgraded Shahed drones manufactured in its own factories. These drones have been fitted with Starlink terminals to enable long-range satellite-guided strikes. Russian intelligence experts said Moscow is now far more interested than before in militarily strengthening Iran against the United States and Israel.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report