Russian officials trained in Iran as part of drone transfer, US says

State Department officials say transferring of drones between the two countries could be sanctionable

Drones fly above an Iranian submarine in the Indian Ocean near southern Iran. EPA / Iranian Army Handout

The US State Department on Thursday claimed that Russian officials had trained in Iran in recent weeks as part of an agreement on a drone transfer from Tehran to Moscow.

The White House last month said that US intelligence had indicated Iran was preparing to provide Russia with hundreds of drones, including those that are weapon-capable.

It added that Russian officials had visited Iran to view the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

Maj Gen Mohammad Bagheri, left, Iran's Armed Forces Chief of Staff, and Maj Gen Abdolrahim Mousavi, Army Commander-in-Chief, visit an underground drone base at an undisclosed location in Iran. AFP

Iranian state media revealed the existence of a drone base, said to be in the Zagros Mountains, in reports on a visit to the facility by Maj Gen Mohammad Bagheri, left, Iran's Armed Forces Chief of Staff. Reuters

The Iranian Army released photos of a wide variety of drones lined up in long tunnels. AFP

Iranian Army drones believed to be held at an underground facility in the Zagros Mountains, a range that runs 1,600 kilometres through Iran, Iraq and Turkey. AFP

An army drone at an underground drone base somewhere in Iran. AFP

An army drone at an underground drone base somewhere in Iran. Senior officers in the Iranian military say its drone force gives it regional leadership. AFP

An Iranian military drone is inspected at a secret underground site. Reuters

Iran's unmanned aircraft programme has come up with dozens of kinds of drones since the middle of the 1980s. AFP

Reminders of the Iranian Army's revolutionary heritage are seen at an underground facility when drones are stored. AFP

An army drone at an underground base somewhere in Iran. AFP

An army drone at an underground base somewhere in Iran. AFP

An army drone at an underground base somewhere in Iran. AFP

Iran's missile development has come along in tandem with programmes to developed military drones. AFP

Iran's Armed Forces Chief of Staff Maj Gen Mohammad Bagheri and Army Commander-in-Chief Maj Gen Abdolrahim Mousavi. AFP

Photos from an underground Iranian military base show development of several drone platforms. AFP

A heavy payload for a drone at a secret underground base somewhere in Iran. AFP

Iran introduced the IAIO Fotros surveillance drone late in 2013. AFP

Iran's developing missile technology has been used by Tehran's allies around the Middle East. AFP

An army drone at an underground base somewhere in Iran. Reuters

An army drone at an underground base somewhere in Iran. AFP

An army drone at an underground base somewhere in Iran. Reuters

The claim raised concerns that Iran, which has supplied drones to its allies in the Middle East, was now giving support to Russia for its war in Ukraine — a claim Iran's foreign minister denied.

Iran provided similar drones to Yemen's Houthi rebels, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said at the time.

State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters during a phone briefing on Thursday that Russian officials had conducted training on drones in Iran “in the last several weeks”.

The US will “vigorously enforce” its sanctions on both Russian and Iranian weapons trading, he said, noting that the transfer of drones between the two countries was “potentially sanctionable under numerous authorities”.

“We remain incredibly concerned about Iran's use and proliferation of UAVs. They have been used to attack US forces, our partners in the region and international shipping entities,” Mr Patel said.

Reuters contributed to this report