Iran attacked the Middle East with hundreds of drones. He took over his tactics from Russia
Iran carried out hundreds of drone attacks on Arab states in the Persian Gulf over the weekend, damaging US bases and critical infrastructure. Characteristically, a large number of drones and missiles were used to break the air defense of the attacked countries. According to experts quoted by “WSJ”, these attacks have features typical of the tactics of the Russian army, which has been using drones – including Iranian Shaheds – in attacks on Ukraine for four years.. The idea is to attack key infrastructure and try to “psychologically exhaust the opponent.”
Read also: Tension between the US and Iran. Americans shot down an Iranian drone
Iran is mass-producing drones
Experts describe Iran's drones as “small, relatively difficult to intercept and easy to produce on a large scale.” They may not cause as much physical damage as thousands of rockets, but they are perfect for breaking down an opponent's defenses.
— Although Iran has a limited stockpile of ballistic missiles, it has an arsenal of many thousands of unmanned aerial vehicles and is capable of mass producing them. — says “WSJ” Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli military intelligence officer and currently a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. “Their main advantage is that mass production is relatively simple and effective, and they can be launched from both sea and land,” he adds.
Read also: Iran is not defenseless at all. Drones, cyberattacks, rising oil prices…
Since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has used Iranian drones, including the Shahed-136, in waves of attacks targeting energy facilities and ports. — Iran has watched Russia use the same tactics for four years, says Samuel Bendett, an adviser in the strategy, policy, plans and programs department at the CNA think tank, in an interview with “WSJ.”
Iran's total production capacity is not clear, but – as “WSJ” found – one factory built in Russia with Iran's help produces 18,540 drones a year. In 2025, Russia fired approximately 1,000 Shahed drones per week to Ukraine – according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
