Iran and Tajikistan announces production of new military drone

Iran and Tajikistan have uncovered a drone factory in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe, giving the world an opportunity to reveal how some of the weapons have reached the Iranian-backed Houthi militia that has destabilized the security of the Middle East.

Observers believe that the announcement of such a factory may be just the beginning of a plan for the international community to track down the weapons that are being supplied to the Houthi militia, which are killing thousands of innocent people in Yemen and destabilizing the Gulf countries.

Weapon factory

Iran and Tajikistan have sought closer relations, including stronger defense cooperation, since the U.S. and its allies broke away from their common neighbor Afghanistan in August last year, paving the way for Taliban control, according to the British newspaper PenIntel.

Iran’s military chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, said: “Today we have reached the position that in addition to meeting local needs, we can export military equipment to allies and friendly countries in order to enhance security and maintain peace”.

The newspaper confirmed that Iran had announced the opening of a factory for producing drones, but according to informed sources, the factory is already operating underground and supplies weapons to pro-Iranian groups and governments in the world, not just the Middle East.

In February, officials from Iran and Tajikistan pledged to increase bilateral trade to $500 million annually, with trade volume reaching $121 million in 2021, an increase of more than 100% from $55 million recorded in 2020.

Analysts say Iran wants to send a message to the world by announcing the plant now, even though everyone knows it has been operating underground for many years.

New concern

A diplomatic source said that the military drone fleet, which is increasing rapidly in Iran, is a source of growing concern for the rival powers in the Middle East and the United States.

He added that these weapons are sent directly from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to the Houthi terrorist militia, through an underground production line for aircraft and weapons. Drones are the most prominent product of this secret factory.

The factory gives Iran the ability to launch up to 60 unmanned aerial vehicles simultaneously from Iran to strike targets in the region.

In early February, Fitch Solutions, an international research firm affiliated with Fitch’s credit rating agency, concluded that drone attacks by Iran-allied Yemeni Houthi rebels on the UAE were unlikely to undermine long-term investment in the UAE because of the UAE’s sophisticated air defense system, while Saudi Arabia was concerned about the number of Houthi drone attacks that have struck the kingdom.

Last September, the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet based in the Middle East said: He is scheduled to launch a new task force of air, sea, and underwater drones after years of maritime attacks on oil tankers and other ships linked to ongoing tensions with Iran.

Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of the Fifth Fleet, was quoted as saying: “We want to put more systems in the maritime space above and below the sea”, he said. “We want more eyes on what’s happening there”.