US officials see continued indications that Iran and Russia are expanding their military partnership, with Russia having employed large numbers of Iranian drones against Ukraine and seeking to procure more, White House spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing on 15 May, according to The New York Times.
According to Mr. Kirby, since last August, Iran has supplied Russia with over 400 one-way attack drones, predominantly utilized against Ukraine's infrastructure, and ongoing talks for acquiring advanced weaponry are in progress.
He also noted that Russia is expanding its "defense cooperation" with Iran, coinciding with Iran's pursuit of purchasing Russian fighter jets, attack helicopters, and Yak-130 combat trainer aircraft worth billions of dollars.
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