Lately, Iran is sending armed drones to Russia for war in Ukraine with its fleet of civilian aircraft. This is the latest example from Tehran, those aging planes to send weapons and army personnel.
Iranian civilian aircraft operated through Iran Air, Mahan Air, Qeshm Fars Air and Saha Airlines have made common flights to Russia in recent months. According to an in-depth analysis, at least 69 Iranian flights have gone to Russia since last March and early April. Western officials are handing over Shahed (self-delivery drones) roaming munitions that Moscow uses in opposition to Ukrainian cities and the force network. They are also concerned that Iran will also soon deliver short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs).
These flights have taken position about twice a week since the beginning of the existing war and have been spotted at military installations at Russian airports. offshore operations through its Quds Force branch.
Russia launched Shahed-136 drones against Ukrainian cities in October. These drones were delivered in mid-August. The first deliveries were made via Russian cargo planes that flew to Iran to pick them up. Iran first denied arming Russia with drones, but later backtracked, saying it had delivered a small amount before Russia introduced its invasion on Feb. 24.
On November 1, mentioning Western officials, CNN reported that Iran is preparing to send another 1,000 weapons to Russia shortly after completing a 450-drone expedition. This expedition may come with the first installment of SRBM, which may mark a few others a significant escalation in this brutal war.
Iranian passenger jets, such as the 747-year-old ones still serving Iran’s advertising fleet, will likely play a central role in airlifting those weapons to Russia. Iran hands over the dismantled drones and gathers them, or helps gather them, once they arrive. Lately it is unclear whether Tehran will do or do the same for SRBM deliveries.
The United States has sanctioned Iran’s civilian air fleet for such illicit activities. Years before Russia invaded Ukraine, Iran used those planes to help prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Mahan Air, in particular, brought fighters and weapons to Damascus. The airline’s fleet has also been used “to provide financial, curtain or technology assistance to the IRGC-QF,” according to the U. S. Treasury Department. U. S.
A 2013 Western intelligence report also indicated that Mahan and Iran Air were its civilian aircraft to send the army’s corps of workers and weapons to Syria through Iraqi airspace. The report stated that the devices ranged from small arms to more complex weapon components.
“The most complicated apparatus includes aircraft parts such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), surface-to-sea missiles and surface-to-surface ballistic missiles,” the report says.
After the Houthis captured Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, Mahan Air established an airlift between Iran and Yemen to send advisers and army weapons. After Saudi Arabia formed a coalition and intervened in the Yemeni standoff against the Houthis in early 2015, Iran attempted to investigate that coalition’s blocking by sending a Mahan Airbus A310 to Sanaa. The Saudi Air Force temporarily bombed the airport runway to prevent the Iranian plane from landing.
In recent weeks and months, Israel has taken similar steps to disrupt Iran’s airlift to Syria, as part of its broader strategy to prevent Iran from gaining a foothold in its northern neighbor. On 31 August, it bombed Aleppo’s airport just before the scheduled arrival. of an Iranian plane. On September 6, an Israeli attack broke the runway of this airport.
Israel also Damascus International Airport on September 17. Israel’s previous moves at the airport put it out of service for a fortnight in June. The attacks came in response to Tehran’s increased use of aircraft to send weapons into the country.
These examples show how this new Iranian arms airlift to Russia is unprecedented. However, if Iran continues to deliver thousands of additional drones and SRBMs, which is likely, this ongoing airlift may end up on an unprecedented scale compared to its predecessors.