Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Monday, Apr 06, 2026

US doubles down on claim that Iran wants to sell drones to Russia

US doubles down on claim that Iran wants to sell drones to Russia

Iran has already told Ukraine it will not do anything to prolong the war, which it blames on NATO’s expansion in Europe.

The United States has doubled down on its claim that Iran is planning to sell “hundreds” of drones to Russia to be used in Ukraine, a day after Tehran explicitly rejected the allegation.

Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, on Saturday reiterated his statement made earlier this week that Iran wants to sell weapons-capable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Moscow.

He released satellite imagery to the US-based CNN network that purportedly showed that a Russian delegation visited an airfield in central Kashan at least twice in the last month.

The Russian delegation is alleged to have been treated to a showcase of the Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 drones, both capable of carrying precision-guided missiles.

Sullivan also claimed earlier this week that Iran is training Russian forces in using the drones, and said it is unclear if any drones have already been sold to Moscow.




Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has denied the US claims in a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Friday, saying Iran will not do anything to prolong the fighting.

Amirabdollahian said the claims are aimed at advancing the US’s political goals as they came right before US President Joe Biden began his tour of the Middle East, with a united stance against Iran being a major agenda of the trip.

“The fundamental and explicit stance of the Islamic republic in opposing war and supporting a stop to the war is not based on a double standard like some Western countries,” Amirabdollahian told Kuleba, adding that Iran also opposes the fighting in Afghanistan, Yemen and Palestine.

The developments also come as Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan are expected to arrive in Tehran on Tuesday for a trilateral sit-down with Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi to discuss the Syria crisis.

The leaders are expected to hold bilateral meetings as well, and Putin will reportedly meet with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei.

Turkey has supplied Ukraine with its armed Bayraktar drones, which have been used in the war against Russia.

Since the start of the Ukraine war in February, Iran has said it wants the fighting to stop through dialogue, but has refused to condemn Russia, instead blaming NATO’s expansion in Europe as the root cause of the conflict.

US officials had also claimed in March that Russia had turned to China for help in supporting the war in Ukraine. So far, there has been no evidence of Chinese arms being used in Ukraine.

Sullivan also confirmed to reporters in late May that the US has seen no evidence that China has provided any military or economic support to Russia for the invasion.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Iranian Drone Strike on US Embassy in Saudi Arabia Reportedly Targeted Intelligence Facility
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Meets French Embassy Official to Strengthen Bilateral Engagement
Saudi Arabia Calls on United States to Seize Strategic Opportunity to Reshape Middle East
Dating Apps Surge in Saudi Arabia as Social Norms Rapidly Evolve Among Youth
Saudi Arabia Detains Over Fourteen Thousand Illegal Residents in Week-Long Enforcement Drive
Saudi Foreign Minister Engages in Diplomatic Talks with Pakistan, Kuwait and Latvia on Regional Developments
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Cruise Missile as Regional Tensions Intensify
Saudi Stock Market Edges Higher as Tadawul Index Records Modest Gain
Underlying Rivalry Between Saudi Arabia and UAE Persists Despite Temporary Calm
Saudi Arabia’s Non-Oil Sector Contracts in March as Regional Tensions Weigh on Business Activity
Saudi Arabia Unveils Ambition to Establish Prestigious Global Prize Rivaling the Nobel
Saudi Crown Prince to Engage Wall Street in Push for Investment and Economic Expansion
Iran Accuses Saudi Arabia and UAE After Downing of Chinese-Made Drone
Saudi Arabia Condemns Attack on Hospital in Sudan, Calls for Protection of Civilians
Coordinated Drone Strike Targets CIA Facility Within US Embassy in Saudi Arabia
Italy’s Meloni Prioritises Energy Security and Strait of Hormuz Stability During Gulf Tour
Uncertainty Emerges Over Timeline and Direction of Saudi Arabia’s Ambitious Ski Resort Project
UAE and Saudi Arabia Escalate Strategy with Drone Operations Targeting Iran
Trump Delivers Characteristic Remarks on Saudi Crown Prince Amid Intensifying Iran Conflict
Drone Strike on US Embassy in Riyadh Caused Greater Damage Than First Reported
Saudi Arabia Introduces Flexible Solutions for Expired Visas Amid Regional Disruptions
Saudi Arabia’s Online Car Market Accelerates with AI Pricing and Fully Digital Buying Experience
Saudi Arabia Reassesses Defence Strategy as Iranian Drone Threat Drives Shift in Military Partnerships
Drone Strikes Target Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain as Regional Conflict Intensifies
Japan and Saudi Arabia Align Efforts to Ease Rising Tensions with Iran
Saudi Crown Prince and Italy’s Meloni Strengthen Strategic Ties in High-Level Talks
SpaceX Explores Potential Five Billion Dollar Investment from Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Ahead of IPO
Saudi Arabia Lifts Key Import Barriers to Expand Access for U.S. Beef Exports
Saudi Arabia Enforces Strict Travel Penalties for Visits to Restricted Countries
Italy’s Meloni Embarks on Strategic Gulf Tour to Address Energy Security and Regional Stability
Saudi Film Festival Rescheduled to Summer as Regional Tensions Continue
Saudi Arabia Reports Forty Two Point Six Billion Dollars in Foreign Tourist Spending in 2025
Saudi Crown Prince and Russian President Hold Strategic Call on Escalating Regional Crisis
Saudi Arabia Advances Rail Network as Strategic Alternative to Strait of Hormuz Shipping Route
Ruanyun Edai Launches Saudi Arabia Hub With Forecast of Ten Percent Revenue Growth
Greek Defence Minister Visits Troops in Saudi Arabia Following Successful Missile Interception
Saudi Arabia Expands Global Strategy With Focus on African Critical Minerals
SpaceX Explores Potential Five Billion Dollar Investment From Saudi Fund Ahead of Possible IPO
US Central Command Dismisses Iranian Claim of Mass Casualties Among American Personnel in Saudi Arabia
Co-Diagnostics to Establish Molecular Diagnostics Facility in Saudi Arabia Through Joint Venture
Trump Engages Saudi Crown Prince in Talks on Potential Iran Ceasefire
Saudi Arabia’s Sadara Suspends Operations as Supply Chain Disruptions Intensify
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Energy Shift by Trading Oil Revenues for Battery Investments
Saudi Arabia Introduces Flexible Options for Expired Visas Amid Regional Disruptions
Online Narratives Surge as Iran–US Tensions Spill Into Digital Arena Following Trump Remarks
Saudi Arabia Urges Trump to Seize Strategic Moment as UAE Weighs Ground Deployment
Saudi Arabia Redirects Nearly One Million Barrels of Oil Daily Away from Strait of Hormuz
Saudi Arabia Carries Out Execution of Businessman Linked to 2011 Qatif Unrest
Ukraine–Saudi Defense Pact Signals Rising Demand for Battlefield Expertise
Saudi Arabia Balances Diplomacy and Defense Preparedness Amid Iran Conflict
×