# drones
Latest news and articles about drones
Total: 53 articles found
Trump Calls Iran Strikes 'Short-Term' but Signals Open-Ended Campaign
President Trump described recent strikes on Iran as a "short-term operation" while promising to continue military pressure until Iranian forces are "completely defeated." His statement signals close U.S.-Israeli coordination but raises questions about the feasibility of quickly degrading Iran's drone and missile capabilities and the risk of wider regional escalation.
Missile Strike on Haifa Refinery Signals New Phase in Iran–Israel–US Confrontation
Iran’s IRGC has claimed a missile strike on Israel’s Haifa refinery, presenting the attack as a calibrated retaliation and signalling a willingness to target core energy infrastructure. Tehran’s use of solid-fuel ballistic missiles and mass-produced drones has highlighted an asymmetric cost and logistics problem for US-led air-defence systems, complicating Washington’s military and political options.
Iran Strikes Energy Targets with Drones in Direct Retaliation for Airstrike, Raising Regional Stakes
Iran used drones to strike energy facilities on 10 March 2026 in direct retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on an oil depot, marking a tactical shift toward direct economic targeting. The move increases the risk of wider escalation, threatens regional energy security, and underscores the growing role of UAVs in the Israel–Iran confrontation.
Iran Says It Shot Down Second Israeli Drone Near Isfahan — A Red Line for Nuclear Sites?
Iran’s IRGC says it intercepted and destroyed a second Israeli "苍鹭" drone that it alleges was attempting to strike Isfahan, home to major nuclear research and uranium-conversion facilities. The claim, unverified by independent sources and unacknowledged by Israel, raises the risk of escalation by putting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure at the centre of possible covert strikes.
Iran Appears to Be Shifting Tactics: Heavy Warheads Paired with Cheap Drone Swarms
Iran is pairing larger, roughly one-tonne warhead-capable missiles with swarms of inexpensive drones, a combination that raises the lethality and operational complexity of its forces. The development transforms deterrence into a more flexible coercive posture, complicating regional defence and increasing the risk of escalation and proliferation.
Stalemate in the Middle East: Fighting Enters a New Phase as the Conflict Spreads Beyond Borders
The U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran entered its seventh day as exchanges continue to expand geographically and technologically, with Iran employing newer ballistic and hypersonic missiles and drones. The conflict has produced significant civilian casualties, pulled Lebanon into the fighting, disrupted Gulf aviation and raised the specter of wider economic and supply-chain shocks if maritime chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz are affected.
Cheap, Small and Hard to Stop: How Iran’s Mass Drone Tactics Are Pinching US and Israeli Air Defences
US defence officials have acknowledged that Iran’s cheap, slow, low‑flying attack drones are difficult to intercept and can overwhelm expensive air‑defence systems through massed use. The tactic creates a cost‑asymmetry that risks depleting missile interceptors and forcing reliance on electronic and directed‑energy defences, while prompting the US and partners to replicate and counter Iranian designs.
Pentagon Scrambles: U.S. Sends More Intelligence and Air‑Defenses as Iran Campaign May Extend to September
A notice released on March 5 shows U.S. Central Command has asked the Pentagon to send extra intelligence personnel to Tampa and is shipping more air‑defence and counter‑drone systems to the Middle East, preparing for operations against Iran to last at least 100 days, potentially until September. The moves reflect an unexpected expansion in scale and logistical strain, driven in part by the challenge of countering low‑cost Iranian drones with expensive interceptors.
Running Low: How Munitions and Resolve Will Decide the US–Israel–Iran Confrontation
A week into a high‑intensity exchange between the U.S., Israel and Iran, rising concern over dwindling stocks of expensive interceptors is reshaping operational choices. Shortages of high‑value munitions create a narrow window for the U.S. and Israel to secure air superiority before switching to cheaper ordnance, while Iran relies on low‑cost drones and missiles and appears prepared for a protracted fight.
Drone Attack on Azerbaijani Exclave Nakhchivan Sparks Diplomatic Alarm
Azerbaijan says drones launched from Iranian territory struck its Nakhchivan exclave on March 5, damaging the airport and injuring two civilians. The incident heightens regional tensions and poses diplomatic and security risks for Baku, Tehran and their neighbors.
U.S. Says It Has Struck Some 2,000 Iranian Targets as Gulf Fighting Intensifies
U.S. Central Command says American and Israeli forces have conducted a massive strike campaign on Iran, hitting about 2,000 targets and destroying 17 ships while Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and thousands of drones in response. The scale of the exchange raises verification questions and heightens the risk of wider regional and global economic fallout, especially for shipping and energy markets.
China Midday: A‑Shares Slip as Liquidity Evaporates — Defence Stocks Buck the Downturn
China’s stock market weakened at mid‑day on March 4 as the Shanghai Composite fell over 1% and trading volume contracted sharply. Defence and a few energy and equipment niches outperformed, while shipping and coal stocks led the declines, highlighting a narrow, liquidity‑driven market downturn.