Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 15, 2025

0:00
0:00

Iran ramps up drone production 

Iran has stepped up the production of military-capable drones, delivering its technology to militant groups across the Middle East as well as to countries such as Venezuela and Sudan, the US has warned.
The New York Times cited Iranian media outlets, satellite images and US defense experts to suggest that Tehran is trying to increase its influence in the drone market.

Last week, Iranian state media quoted the head of the military, Brig. Gen. Kioumars Heydari, as saying Tehran is “ready to export weapons and military equipment to friendly countries,” and its drones are already “being operated far away and beyond our borders.”

Seth Frantzman, a drone expert and defense analyst, told the NYT: “Iran is increasingly becoming a global player in terms of drone exports. The fact that newer drones, such as the Mohajer-6 (a military-capable Iranian drone with a range of around 125 miles) are now being seen in places like the Horn of Africa, shows that countries see them as a potential game-changer.”

Iran’s drone program has increasingly concerned its regional rivals. Despite sanctions, Tehran has been able to produce a range of machines for both surveillance and offensive operations, to the point where Israel has targeted and sabotaged Iranian drone production facilities.

Iran still lags behind the likes of Turkey in drone production, however, with Ankara’s Bayraktar TB2 proving decisive on battlefields from Azerbaijan to Ethiopia in recent years.

In August 2020, though, a UN embargo on the purchase and sale of weapons by Iran expired, making it easier for the country to become a bigger player in the drone market.

On July 21, the US Department of Defense said the drone program was a key topic of conversation at a recent regional security conference in Qatar.

Since the lifting of the embargo, Iranian drones have been spotted in various military theaters, including the civil war in Ethiopia, where a Mohajer-6 was filmed behind Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed during a visit to a military base, armed with air-to-surface missiles.

In February, the sale of Mohajer-6 drones to Venezuela was confirmed by Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz, citing footage of President Nicolas Maduro standing next to one in 2020.

Venezuela’s Ministry of Defense later confirmed that the country had been purchasing an earlier model, the Mohajer-2, since 2007, when the UN arms embargo was imposed.

Iran has also supplied drones to Sudan, despite Khartoum also being subject to an arms embargo.

“The Islamic Republic has long reached mass production level in the production of various drones including military surveillance and suicide drones and now has a very large stock,” Iranian military analyst Hossein Dalirian told the NYT.

Tehran has been able to build a network of customers among nations and proxy groups, including in Yemen and Lebanon, outside the West’s sphere of influence.

That policy has included the offshoring of production to other countries, including Venezuela and Tajikistan.

Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, commander-in-chief of Iran’s armed forces, traveled to Tajikistan in May to inaugurate a factory making Ababil-2 drones — the first designated factory of Iranian drones abroad.

Tehran’s drones have been used extensively in attacks against Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Yemen and Israel, as well as a US base in Syria in October last year.

Farzin Nadimi, a military analyst and associate fellow at the Washington Institute, told the NYT: “They (Iran) have created this viable drone capacity, so it is no surprise that other countries are interested in obtaining such technologies. Iranian drones should be taken seriously as a weapon.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
×