Russian and Iranian officials finalized the deal during a meeting in Iran in early November, according to The Washington Post.
The two countries aim to quickly hand over designs and key parts so that production of unmanned drones can begin within months, the US newspaper reported.
“It is proceeding quickly from decision-making to implementation. It is moving fast and it has a lot of steam," The Washington Post quoted one official as saying.
With its own production line, Russia, which already uses Iranian drones in attacks on Ukraine, will significantly increase its stockpile of the relatively inexpensive but highly destructive weaponry, The Washington Post reported.
According to the article, the deal could satisfy Russian demand for precision-guided weapons, while Iran could benefit economically and politically. It is possible that the authorities in Tehran are hoping they can avoid new sanctions if the drones are physically produced on Russian territory, The Washington Post said.
Since August, Russia has deployed more than 400 Iranian-made "kamikaze" drones against Ukraine, according to intelligence sources, with many of the weaponized aircraft used in attacks against civilian energy infrastructure targets.
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP, The Washington Post
