Russia Trains Iran To Use Shahed Drones To Strike US And Gulf Targets

Multiple news outlets report a consistent claim: Russia is advising Iran on the use of Iranian-designed Shahed drones with the intention they could be used against American and Gulf targets.

“CNN has learned that Russia is providing significant support to Iran amid the war, helping Iran use advanced drone tactics that Russia has honed on the battlefield in Ukraine”

CNN

CNN reports the development directly, saying “CNN has learned that Russia is providing significant support to Iran amid the war, helping Iran use advanced drone tactics that Russia has honed on the battlefield in Ukraine.”

CNN

Middle East Eye similarly states that “Russia is providing Iran with advanced drone warfare tactics developed during its war in Ukraine, according to a Western intelligence official cited by CNN.”

The Belarusian outlet Наша Ніва relays CNN’s sourcing, noting “According to information from CNN, citing a source in Western intelligence, Russia is advising Iran on the use of "Shahed" drones for strikes on American targets and countries in the Persian Gulf.”

Reports emphasise that the nature of Moscow’s assistance appears to have shifted from broad intelligence-sharing to hands-on tactical guidance.

Middle East Eye quotes the Western intelligence assessment that “support appears to have evolved from general intelligence sharing to more specific operational advice on drone targeting strategies.”

Middle East Eye

CNN frames the help as practical military assistance, stating Russia is “helping Iran use advanced drone tactics that Russia has honed on the battlefield in Ukraine.”

Наша Ніва highlights the significance of that shift, saying “consultations on strike tactics are considered a new level of support.”

The coverage specifies potential targets and methods, citing Tehran’s Shahed drones as the delivery system and naming US and Gulf states as possible targets.

Middle East Eye reports the assistance “includes guidance on how to deploy Iranian-designed Shahed drones, which Russia has mass-produced and used extensively in Ukraine, to strike US and Gulf targets in the Middle East.”

Наша Ніва repeats the framing of “strikes on American targets and countries in the Persian Gulf,” and CNN’s reporting on Russian support underscores the transfer of battlefield-proven drone tactics to Iran.

Several outlets note that the revelations have raised alarm among Western capitals and analysts because the tactics were refined in Ukraine and could broaden the conflict’s reach.

Наша Ніва states plainly that “This is causing increasing concern among Western countries.”

Middle East Eye

Middle East Eye emphasises the source’s warning about the Ukraine-to-Middle East transfer of tactics, and CNN’s account highlights the practical nature of the support that has prompted scrutiny in Western intelligence circles.

All three pieces make clear the reporting is based on Western intelligence sources and unnamed officials, leaving some details unverified in public accounts.

“Russia giving Iran 'specific advice on drone tactics', CNN reports Russia is providing Iran with advanced drone warfare tactics developed during its war in Ukraine, according to a Western intelligence official cited by CNN”

Middle East Eye

Наша Ніва explicitly notes the chain of sourcing: “According to information from CNN, citing a source in Western intelligence...”

CNN

Middle East Eye similarly attributes the claim to “a Western intelligence official cited by CNN,” and CNN frames the material as reporting it “has learned” from its sources, signalling that the public record rests on intelligence assessments rather than publicly disclosed evidence.