ROME – Despite heavy sanctions in place on Iran, during the war in Eastern Europe Ukrainian intelligence has consistently reported the presence of Western-made technology in the Iranian drones being used against them.

 At the Euro-Gulf Information Centre on Nov. 28, a world-renowned expert in Iranian studies sought to inform the think tank attendees of how Iran are managing to gain access to Western material to construct and sell their dual-use equipment, as well as detail the threat their weaponry industry poses to international security.

 In 2023 a military source told CNN that 75% of the parts found by Ukrainians in a Russian drone they shot down were from American companies alone. The remaining 25% of parts were almost entirely from other Western countries.  

 These drones are revolutionising contemporary warfare, partly because of their price and partly because of their effectiveness. Reuters report that some drones cost as little as $500 to manufacture, including the explosives that are attached to the body.

 More accurate than shells, these aircrafts are controlled by people on the ground who use the camera feed to locate and fly into an enemy target, thus delivering a pinpointed and highly damaging explosion.

 According to the EGIC’s expert, Western interest in drones and their market has dramatically increased over recent years due to their proliferation in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Before this, the guest stated, the appeal of Iran’s neighbouring countries for help combatting their mass-manufacturing in Iran went largely unnoticed by the West.

 The main way Iran gets around the sanctions imposed on them, and gets access to Western parts for its supply to Russia, is through the thousands of front companies they have created that are often registered in other countries.

 Creating a sort of black market, Iran can avoid being tracked by receiving the resources from outsourced companies, before swiftly and regularly dissolving said businesses to leave little trace of their actions.

 The EGIC’s guest claimed that Ukrainian intelligence has found within these drones chemical components from Germany, engines from the UK and digital technology from The Netherlands.

 Within the context of the growing alliance between Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan and China, the expert emphasised the importance of the West cutting off Iran’s materials supply to ensure that the ironic and counter-productive situation in Ukraine, where the West are fighting their own technology, is avoided in the future.

 The guest suggested three main areas where Western countries can tighten up their policy.

 Firstly, nations need to strictly adhere to the sanctions in place, ensuring that no companies are slipping through the net and selling material to Iran.

 Secondly, manufactures should vigilantly check what clients are using their products for, paying particular attention to potential dual-use constructions.

 Finally, countries should openly share intelligence amongst themselves, communicating to other governments when potential weaponry parts are bought, thus creating a wider and more accurate picture of the market’s key players.

 dabj