A new intelligence assessment indicates Russia is helping Iran refine its drone warfare tactics as the conflict with the United States and its Gulf allies stretches into its 12th day.
According to a Western intelligence source, the Kremlin has been sharing battlefield lessons drawn from its war in Ukraine. The guidance is aimed at helping Iranian forces more effectively target U.S. military bases and regional infrastructure using drones.
The advice reportedly includes operational tactics, targeting strategies, and methods designed to overwhelm air defense systems.
The development underscores the increasingly close military relationship between Moscow and Tehran. It also reflects how the war in Ukraine has become a testing ground for modern drone warfare now being applied elsewhere.
Drone Strikes Continue Despite Air Superiority
The United States and Israel quickly secured aerial dominance over Iranian airspace in the opening hours of the conflict. Yet the advantage has not prevented Iranian retaliatory attacks.
Drone strikes launched across the region have killed nine U.S. military personnel and wounded roughly 150 others.
The attacks have targeted bases and infrastructure linked to U.S. operations in the Middle East. Intelligence officials believe Russia’s battlefield experience with mass drone deployments may be helping Iran refine how it conducts these strikes.
During the war in Ukraine, both sides have relied heavily on drones to locate targets, harass air defenses, and overwhelm defensive systems with waves of relatively inexpensive unmanned vehicles.
CNN continues:
“What was more general support is now getting more concerning, including UAS (drone) targeting strategies that Russia employed in Ukraine,” said the official, who did not want to be identified discussing sensitive intelligence.
While the official declined to specify the exact tactical help, Russia has used Shahed drones against Ukraine in waves, with multiple drones flying together and changing course regularly to elude air defenses. In one night, Ukraine can face over 1,000 drones.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X Wednesday that “Russia has started supporting the Iranian regime with drones. It will definitely help with missiles, and it is also helping them with air defense.” He did not give specific details of Russia’s assistance.
Russia has also reportedly supplied Iran with valuable satellite imagery from its reconnaissance satellites. The intelligence is believed to include information on the locations and movements of U.S. military assets in the region, potentially giving Tehran greater awareness of ships, aircraft, and other deployments. Officials say it remains unclear what Moscow may be receiving in exchange for the support.
A Long but Uneasy Military Partnership
Russia and Iran have cooperated militarily for decades, though their relationship has rarely been simple. Rivalry and mistrust often shaped their interactions, even as pragmatic interests pushed them together.
Ties strengthened significantly after the end of the Iran-Iraq War and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Facing sanctions and embargoes from the West, Tehran turned to Moscow for advanced military technology it could no longer obtain elsewhere.
Their partnership deepened again in 2015 during the Syrian civil war. Russia’s intervention to support President Bashar al-Assad brought Russian and Iranian forces into direct battlefield coordination for the first time, including joint operations, shared basing arrangements, and intelligence cooperation.
Ukraine War Reshaped the Alliance
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 transformed the relationship into something far more reciprocal.
Iran supplied Moscow with thousands of Shahed drones, which Russia has used extensively against Ukrainian infrastructure. Tehran also assisted in establishing a drone production facility inside Russia.
The assistance reportedly expanded to include artillery shells, munitions, and short-range ballistic missiles such as variants of the Fateh-110.
In return, Russia moved to strengthen Iran’s own military capabilities. Moscow has delivered Yak-130 trainer aircraft and Mi-28 attack helicopters and provided technical support linked to Iran’s missile and space programs.
Long-discussed deals involving advanced Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 air defense systems have also moved forward at various points, though delivery timelines have remained uncertain.
A Two-Way Arms Pipeline
What has emerged is a two-way arms pipeline unprecedented in scale between the two countries.
Mutual sanctions pressure from the West pushed Moscow and Tehran closer together, accelerating weapons transfers, technology sharing, and joint development.
Today, Russia has become Iran’s most significant arms partner in several key areas, while Iran has emerged as one of the Kremlin’s most valuable wartime suppliers.
The intelligence suggesting Russia is now sharing drone warfare tactics with Iran reflects how deeply the two militaries have become intertwined — and how lessons from the battlefield in Ukraine may now be shaping conflicts far beyond Europe.
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