Shaheds for what? Russia Drone Deal may have given the regret of Iran seller

The Russia Iranian designed propeller-driven Shahed-136 one-way investigation with explosive attack drones have repeatedly focused on the cities of Ukraine for just under three years in a row. During that time, Russia applied substantial changes, the engines, core heads and even the color of these drones changed. Today Iran reportedly regrets aspects of the scheme under which Russia has given its inland drones.

Russia launched a record -breaking 6,129 attacks Against Ukraine using Shahed Drones in July, against 5,337 attacks in June. On July 9, Russia focused on Ukraine with 728 drones. Moscow is not satisfied with these large -scale bombing and wants to hit Ukraine with a single salvo from 2,000 Shahed Drones!

Such huge spurages are made possible by the localized production of Russia from Shahed-136s in the special economic zone of Alabuga more than 600 miles east of Moscow. Iran allowed Russia to produce these drones as part of a $ 1.75 billion deal that was reached in early 2023.

Already in February 2023, Shahed Discovered Discovered Multifunctional Nuclear Heads in Ukraine that are suitable for attacks on larger infrastructure targets such as the Ukrainian electricity grid. Later that year, Shaheds appeared with new black coatings, paint with carbon that makes it harder for radar to detect. Recently, much faster, high -flying jet-driven shaheds Forcing Ukraine to spend its most advanced surface-air rockets.

Tehran has started the seller’s regret since Moscow located nearly 90 percent of his Shahed production and made it more advanced versions with limited Iranian input, according to A CNN report Published on Friday.

In addition, Russia is expanding its production facilities, so that it can obtain even more adapted drones designed by Iran.

Iran frustrated these developments, in combination with the lack of substantial support that received from Russia during his 12-day war against Israel in June.

Iran officially denies that the Russia has sold all military drones since the full invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, and only admitted that he was selling Moscow some drones before the war. In reality, Tehran supplied various Shaheds via sea and air and since the start of the war, Russia has supplied extensive technological transfers. The 2023 contract initially foresaw the production of 6,000 Shahss in Alabuga by September 2025, which Russia finished well before schedule. The scale of the localized drone production exceeded the initial expectations and also considerably reduced the costs per unity of these drones for Moscow.

What Iran gets in exchange for this valuable help is far from clear. Reports from Shahed-136 transfers in 2022 led to speculation that Iran would receive the SU-35 Flanker hunters who had ordered it before the war, possibly as part of a barter. Many speculated that a batch of two dozen factory-fresh flankers that Moscow had initially built for Egypt would go to Iran. However, Russia has delivered a number of them to Algeria, which suggests that this is not the case, or that Iran will eventually receive less than 24. Iranian journalist Saeed Azimi reported in 2023 That Tehran had ordered and paid 50 SU-35s in 2021, but never received one. To date, Russia Iran has only supplied a small number of subsonic YAK-130 Jet trainers.

A report Published by the Center for Advanced Defense Studies in May 2025, Russia has paid Iran in Golden Bars in exchange for his help in building this huge new drone industry. The report has revealed at least $ 104 million in gold bars that was delivered as part of a contract between Alabuga and the Tehran Thunder established in Tehran. Interestingly, the CNN Friday report states that Sahara Thunder has complained about payments that are not made.

It is unclear whether Iran only sought gold in exchange for this military support.

While hundreds of drones designed by Iranian raining on Ukrainian cities every night, no new SU-35 supplied by Russian was available to defend the Iranian airspace in the light of the non-reversing air bombing of Israel in June. Consequently, Tehran reported frustration about the limited returns that it gets from his regulation with Moscow is hardly surprising.

“Of the unfulfilled promises of Russia to deliver defense systems such as the S-400 and SU-35 fighter jets for repeated delays in military cooperation, all suggest that this partnership is not based on mutual trust, but rather on opportunistic, short-term interests,” ” colored An editorial editorial of 5 August in an Iranian reformer daily. (A Western intelligence officer who was cited in the CNN report also mentioned Russian cooperation with Iran as “Pure Transactional and Utilitair.”)

This means that someone wonders what Iran gets from all this.

Some analysts expect Russia to eventually re -export some of his improved Shahss back to Iran. However, there are no indications that Moscow stands to do this. On the other hand, there Are indications that Russia Noord -Korea de Ability to produce Shaheds Local in exchange for the extensive support of Pyongyang for the war effort against Ukraine. Moscow has also supplied a medium-sized Pantir-S1 air defense rocket system to Pyongyang and will soon be able to supply its vintage Air Force from the fourth generation MIG-29 and SU-23 hunters.

The CNN report also briefly speculated that a flight of 11 July of a Russian Ilyushin IL-76 could have contain components for an S-400 system, although that is not confirmed. Incidentally, such a speculation comes almost exactly one year after reports that indicate that Russia started supplying non -specified air defense equipment to Tehran. Whatever was there in that birth, it did not prevent Israel from hindering Iran’s existing S-300 systems on October 26, nor even hinder its unprecedented Air campaign in June.

Although there is much unclear, it is certainly likely that Iran thinks it has received the short end of the stick in his military technical cooperation with Russia.