In November 2022, the Conflict Armament Research group assessed that 82% of the components in downed Iranian drones and a precision-guided munition of Iranian origin recovered by Ukraine were produced by U.S.-based firms. Additionally, Ukrainian intelligence revealed that a whopping 40 of an estimated 52 components found in a downed Iranian drone were produced by 13 American firms.

Iranian drones have supplemented cruise and ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, as Russian stockpiles of traditional munitions have dwindled significantly since the war began. While the Iranian drone threat may have previously seemed distant for Europe, the appearance of these weapons in Ukraine has brought the problem home.

Unfortunately, attacks from Iranian drones are not a new reality in the Middle East, including against U.S. troops. On March 23, for example, Iran-backed groups used an Iranian-origin drone against a U.S. base in northern Syria, killing one U.S. contractor and injuring five service members.

That attack was hardly a one-off event. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently told Congress that Iran-backed groups have struck U.S. positions in Syria and Iraq 83 times since January 2021. Many of these attacks involved Iranian drones.

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