The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed the United States assesses Russia has received the delivery of Mohajer-6 and Shahed-series unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over several days this month. The official said it is likely part of a Russian plan to acquire hundreds of such vehicles.
"We assess that Russia intends to use these Iranian UAVs, which can conduct air-to-surface attacks, electronic warfare, and targeting, on the battlefield in Ukraine," the official claimed, according to Reuters.
Russia has faced "numerous failures" with Iranian-made drones acquired from Tehran this month for use in its war with Ukraine, according to a senior US administration official.
In July, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan claimed that Iran was planning to hand over to Russia up to several hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles, including those capable of carrying armaments. He also claimed that Iran was planning to train Russian forces to use these drones with the first stages of training beginning as early as July while he did not provide any proof for his assertions.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kan'ani has rejected the allegations against Iran by US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. "National Security Adviser Sullivan accompanied Biden to Tel Aviv to reinforce America's commitment to unconditionally support the world's most murderous child-killing regime. At the beginning of the trip, he accused Iran of supporting the killing of Ukrainians! Lies are a thriving coin among American politicians! Overturning the truth for evil purposes."
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated that Iran refrains from taking any steps that may result in an escalation in Ukraine, adding that the country is not helping either side involved in the conflict because it is certain that it should be ended.
Earlier on August 10, the US said that Russian officials have begun training on drones in Iran over the last several weeks, the latest sign that Russia intends to purchase the systems as the war in Ukraine continues.
"During the last several weeks, Russian officials conducted training in Iran as part of the agreement for UAV transfers from Iran to Russia," a US official claimed, according to CNN. The official said the intelligence about the training has recently been declassified.
ZZ/PR
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