WASHINGTON — President Biden’s national security adviser said on Monday that Russia is seeking hundreds of surveillance drones from Iran, including missile-firing drones, to use in the war in Ukraine.
The official, Jake Sullivan, said it was unclear whether Iran had already sent any of the remote-controlled systems to Russia, but said the United States had information indicating that Iran was preparing to train Russian troops so as to as soon as possible this month.
“Our information indicates that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with up to several hundred UAVs, including those with weapons on an accelerated timeline,” Mr Sullivan told reporters at the White House, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles.
The months-long Russian bombardment of Ukraine has depleted Russia of many of its precision-guided weapons, and Mr Sullivan, in saying that war “at the cost of preserving its own weapons”, seemed to suggest that the Kremlin, or soon would be , with a shortage of armed surveillance drones.
The timing of Mr. Sullivan’s comments about what was believed to be classified intelligence was also curious, coming almost aside at the end of a briefing to preview President Biden’s investigation. travel to Israel and Saudi Arabia this weekwhere Iran’s nuclear program and evil activities in the region will be a major topic of discussion.
Iran has supplied drone and missile technology to Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have attacked Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Shia militias in Iraq, who have carried out drone strikes against US forces there. But Mr Sullivan’s comments about an imminent transfer of Iranian drones to Russia to use in Ukraine surprised several senior US national security officials on Monday.
The Biden administration is trying to slow down Russian arms production by denying parts made with Western technology. Gina M. Raimondo, the trade secretary, said last month that US and international controls had cut Russia’s exports of semiconductors and computer chips by 90 percent.