Report: Iran Seeks Russia’s Advanced Jet-Powered Shahed Drones for War Against Israel and US

Western security officials tell the Financial Times that Tehran has requested sophisticated Russian Geran drones, including jet-powered models capable of reaching speeds of up to 600 km/h, after Moscow transformed Iran’s original Shahed design into a faster, more difficult-to-intercept weapon.

Iran has reportedly sought to obtain advanced Russian drones derived from the same technology Tehran initially supplied to Moscow, with the weapons intended for use in its ongoing conflict with Israel and the United States, according to the Financial Times.

Western security officials and a person familiar with the Kremlin told the newspaper that Iran requested advanced Geran drones from Russia this year. The Geran series is based on Iran’s Shahed platform, which Russia began manufacturing domestically in 2023 before developing increasingly sophisticated variants.

Russia’s newest models, the jet-powered Geran-4 and Geran-5, have attacked Ukrainian cities in recent weeks. Their performance has reportedly shown a significant improvement in evading air defenses compared with earlier propeller-driven versions, creating a more challenging threat for Ukraine.

One of the drones recently struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s Security Service in what was described as the first direct drone attack on a government building in Kyiv. Another reportedly came close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s aircraft as it prepared to depart Moldova. Hundreds of additional drones have hit warehouses and disrupted activity at Ukrainian ports.

On Thursday, a drone crashed into a gas station in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district. The following day, two people were killed when two more gas stations were struck in attacks that Zelensky characterized as being “terrorist in nature.”

Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched a record 2,800 drones in August. The extensive campaign took place alongside Ukrainian attacks targeting Russian oil refineries and commercial storage sites.

Russia’s progress in advancing the drone technology represents a notable development for a military that has suffered immense human and material losses since invading Ukraine in 2022. Those losses include an estimated 1.5 million troops killed or wounded, along with extensive destruction of Soviet-era military equipment.

Although Ukraine has gained recognition for rapidly developing its own defense technologies, experts say Russia’s newest drones illustrate Moscow’s ability to create, improve and deploy sophisticated weapons on a large scale.

The first-generation Geran-1 carries a warhead weighing up to 20 kilograms, reaches a top speed of approximately 185 km/h and relies on relatively basic guidance technology.

The Geran-5, in contrast, is powered by a jet engine and was reportedly first deployed by Russia in January. It can reach speeds of up to 600 km/h and carry a 90-kilogram warhead across a range of approximately 1,000 kilometers.

The drone’s design resembles that of a cruise missile. It also reportedly features thermal cameras and artificial intelligence-powered systems for recognizing targets.

The reported Iranian request would represent a reversal of the original direction of drone technology between the two nations. Iran initially supplied the Shahed platform to Russia, which subsequently adapted and mass-produced it. Tehran is now reportedly seeking access to the more advanced variants produced through Russia’s wartime development efforts.