Senior US defense officials have warned that the warfare capabilities of Iranian drones, which are reportedly being used by the Russians in the Ukraine conflict, could pose a future threat to the Gulf states.
According to Dana Stroul, the US Defence deputy assistant secretary for the Middle East, Iran’s ambition and hegemony have expanded beyond the region and is being witnessed in the battlefronts of war-torn European countries. Stroul believes that as Iran gains confidence in its overseas operations and that of its proxies, the region will face a major future threat.
She called for a global coalition to push back on the malign cooperation between Iran and Russia, saying that it is reasonable to expect that the tactics, techniques, and procedures that the Iranians are perfecting in Ukraine may one day come back to threaten the Middle East.
Speaking during a hotline briefing, Stroul added that Iranian threats have escalated in the region, with training funding and direction of militia groups, proxies, and non-state actors on the ground. She urged greater cooperation to counter the increasing aggression at sea and malicious cyber activities that have clearly threatened the Middle East and beyond.
