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White House says Iran set to deliver armed drones to Russia

Jake Sullivan
Posted at 5:23 PM, Jul 11, 2022
and last updated 2022-07-12 12:24:19-04

The White House says it believes Russia is turning to Iran to provide it with "hundreds" of unmanned aerial vehicles, including weapons-capable drones, for use in its ongoing war in Ukraine.

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday it was unclear whether Iran had already provided any of the unmanned systems to Russia but said the U.S. has "information" that indicates Iran is preparing to train Russian forces to use them as soon as this month.

Sullivan's revelation comes on the eve of President Joe Biden's trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia, where Iran's activities will be a key subject of discussion.

“Our information indicates that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with up to several hundred UAVs, including weapons-capable UAVs on an expedited timeline,” he told reporters Monday.