WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Monday it believes Russia is reaching out to Iran to provide it with “hundreds” of unmanned aerial vehicles, including drones capable of carrying weapons, for use in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said it was unclear whether Iran had already provided any of the unmanned systems to Russia, but said the US had “information” indicating Iran was preparing to train Russian forces to use already this month.
“Our information indicates that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with up to several hundred UAVs, including unmanned aerial vehicles capable of carrying weapons, on an expedited basis,” he told reporters on Monday.
Sullivan said it was evidence that Russia’s massive bombing campaign in Ukraine, which has seen it consolidate gains in the east of the country in recent weeks, “came at the cost of maintaining its own weapons”.
Sullivan’s revelation comes ahead of President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia, where Iran’s nuclear program and malign activities in the region will be a key topic of discussion.
The US decision to publicly reveal that the two countries’ main regional rival has been helping to rearm Russia comes as both Israel and Saudi Arabia have resisted joining global efforts to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine because of their domestic interests .
Sullivan also noted that Iran provided similar drones to Yemen’s Houthi rebels to attack Saudi Arabia before a ceasefire was reached earlier this year.
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