‘HARMFUL TO UKRAINE’

Iran Is Helping Russia Build a Drone Factory, White House Says

U.S. intelligence officials believe the drone manufacturing plant could be operational as soon as early next year.

Iran is stepping up support for Russia in its war against Ukraine by supplying the Kremlin with materials to build a drone factory east of Moscow, according to newly declassified information released by the White House on Friday. U.S. intelligence officials believe the manufacturing plant could be operational as soon as early next year. A National Security Council spokesman said the U.S. suspects Iran continues to supply one-way attack drones built in the country to the Russian military, even though Iran has claimed it only provided Moscow with drones before the war but not since. Hundreds of drones and equipment have been shipped from Iran to Russia as of May, according to the White House.“This is a full-scale defense partnership that is harmful to Ukraine, to Iran’s neighbors, and to the international community,” the spokesman said. “We are continuing to use all the tools at our disposal to expose and disrupt these activities including by sharing this with the public—and we are prepared to do more.”