Tel Aviv: A disassembled Iranian-designed Shahed 136 armed drone seized in Ukraine arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland this week to be displayed as part of a political conference addressing the ongoing threat of Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The drone, brought down by Ukrainian forces, was transported with cooperation from Ukrainian and Polish Special Forces and United against Nuclear Iran (UANI), a US-based nonprofit.
The Shahed-136 drone is considered the most widely used military drone in the world and is manufactured in Iran’s military industries under the supervision of the IRGC. The IRGC is designated as a terrorist organisation in the United States. Russian forces have used thousands of these drones—rebranded as Geran-2—in Ukraine, with one striking Chernobyl’s radiation containment shelter on February 14.
Iranian-backed militants also launched a Shahed that killed three US service members in Jordan on January 28.
Former US intelligence official Norman Roule describes Iran as a “serial arsonist that openly nurtures other arsonists who operate in regional countries.” and supports proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.
The Shahed 136 drones have been used alongside cruise and ballistic missile attacks to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
