Growing Threat of Iranian Kamikaze Across Middle East

Drones Kamikaze increased use by Iran and its allies for surveillance and attacks across the Middle East is raising alarms in Washington. The disclosure around Kamikaze comes at a time of heightened tensions with Iran and underscores the many ways in which Tehran and the forces it backs are increasingly relying on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in places like Yemen, Syria, the Strait of Hormuz and Iraq.

0n July 18, an Iranian drone approached the U.S. Navy ship USS Boxer in international waters while it was on its way to the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf. The drone ignored multiple calls to stand down and came close to around 1,000 yards from the American ship, prompting the Marines on board to shoot it down.

Meanwhile, the United States believes that Iran-linked militia in Iraq have recently increased their surveillance of American troops and bases in the country by using off-the-shelf, commercially available drones,according to U.S. officials.

Also, in January 2016, an Iranian drone reportedly flew over a U.S. aircraft carrier transiting through the Gulf of Oman on its way to the Persian Gulf and also photographed a French naval vessel. Although the drone didn’t pose any serious threat to the ships, it delivered its intended message, Iran is now able to monitor all the ships in the Gulf and inflict damage if it wants.

In March 2019, Iran’s defense ministry launched a massive drone drill which involved flying more than fifty drones simultaneously, including Iranian versions of the U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone and the American MQ-1 Predator.

On other hand, one worrisome reason is that Tehran, doesn’t need to manufacture complicated or advanced drones to pose a threat to its adversaries much cheaper and less capable drones can still perfectly suit Iran’s asymmetric military strategy.

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