Unmanned aerial vehicles in the Iranian military

Lore & Background

Iran first used UAVs in 1985 with the Ababil-1 and Mohajer-1, which spied on Iraqi positions. After Operation Praying Mantis in 1988, where the US Navy inflicted heavy losses on Iran’s air and navy forces, Iranian strategists realized they could not openly face the US by water and began investing heavily in drones. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force is the primary operator of Iran’s growing fleet, though most Iranian military services employ them. In September 2016, Mohammad Bagheri announced the development of new long-range attack drones with precision bombing capability, which was being shared with Russia.

Drones became a technology Iranian engineers could develop locally as external markets closed due to sanctions or high prices. On 29 July 2021, US sanctions targeted Iran's weapons program, including groups that supply parts for drones and missiles. That same day, a delta-wing drone similar to unmanned kamikaze drones developed for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps flew into the pilothouse of the tanker Mercer Street in the July 2021 Gulf of Oman incident, killing two crewmembers; later tests indicated the UAV had been rigged with a nitrate-based explosive, RDX. In October 2021, Iran unveiled the Kaman 22 UAV, modeled on the US MQ-1 Predator and with features from the MQ-9 Reaper, also reminiscent of the Chinese CH-5 drone.

Issues with Iranian drones include a lack of access to modern components and parts, especially engines, lack of self-defense features, problems with technical reliability, and poor weather. Former US Central Command chief Gen. Kenneth McKenzie stated that the US was 'for the first time since the Korean War operating without complete air superiority' due to threats posed by Iranian drones.

Reader's Guide

Iranian UAVs have shifted from reconnaissance platforms to attack munitions, with the first-generation Ababil deployed during the Iran–Iraq War. The Shahed drones, notably the Shahed 136, have been used by Russian forces in the Russo-Ukrainian war and by Iranian forces in the 2026 Iran war, demonstrating their effectiveness in long-range strikes. This effectiveness prompted Ukraine to develop its own Shahed-136 analogs in 2025, and in December 2025 the US military announced the LUCAS drone, a clone of the Shahed 136 achieved through reverse engineering, deploying a squadron in the Middle East. The Iranian drone program has thus influenced global drone development, with adversaries adopting similar technology. Despite limitations such as component shortages and reliability issues, Iranian drones have challenged US air superiority, as noted by General McKenzie. The program is sustained by local manufacturing by organizations like Qods Aviation Industry Company, IAMCO, and Shahed Aviation Industries, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force remains the primary operator. The legacy of Iranian drones includes their role in asymmetric warfare and their replication by other nations.

Did You Know?

• The July 2021 Gulf of Oman incident involved a delta-wing drone that killed two crewmembers on the tanker Mercer Street.
• The US developed the LUCAS drone, a clone of the Shahed 136, in December 2025.
• Iran's Kaman 22 UAV is modeled on the US MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper.