Russia returns the favor to Iran: satellite images and drone technology that enhance its precision strikes

According to The Wal Street Journal, at the center of this help are the images from Russia’s own satellite network that it shares with Iran. In this way, Moscow provides Tehran with locations for US forces and its allies in the Middle East.

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The media stressed that the images are not public or commercial information, but rather combat usable military intelligence.

These satellite images allow Iran to plan drone and missile attacks with greater precision and better target strategic targets, such as military bases, radar systems and other key facilities.

Russia would also be reporting on movements of ships and naval assets, US aircraft and air defenses in the Gulf.

All this aid turns Iranian attacks into more precise and efficient.

Another fundamental aspect of the aid has to do with the Shahed dronesnow produced and perfected by Russia after its intensive use on the Ukrainian battlefield.

Russia would be providing Iran with technologically improved components for its Shahed-136 droneswhich in the Russian version have gone from being a cheap and simple weapon to a more sophisticated, integrated and difficult to stop system.

What improvements did Russia make to drones? of Iranian origin?

Moscow has renamed its own version of the Shahed as Geran-2. The improvements in these devices include more precise navigation systems, more efficient communications and adjustments to attack and targeting capabilities, in addition to greater resistance to electronic warfare, something that allows the drone to continue operating even if its GPS is blocked.

While the Iranian version of the Shahed carries an explosive charge of between 40 and 50 kilos, the Russian one can carry between 80 and 90 kilos. Some of these Russian drones incorporate incendiary or thermobaric chargeswhich multiplies the damage to infrastructure.

However, the higher explosive charge makes the drone have a shorter range. While the Iranian Shahed They can fly up to 2,500 km away, the Russians go up to 1,300 km.

Russia He also adapted his version of the Shahid to the battlefield with dark paint and other adjustments to give them less visibility at night.

Given its experience in Ukraine, Moscow would also be helping Iran to define how many drones to use per attack, with the aim of saturating enemy defenses.

What is not known is whether Russia has sent drones to Iran or would only deliver the improved components.

Russia has denied that he is militarily helping Iran and has described the news as “fake news”.

On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Wall Street Journal report is false.

The key is in Russian satellite information

The international analyst Roberto Heimovits said to The Commerce that, if Russia’s aid to Iran is confirmed, The most delicate aspect would not necessarily be the delivery of drone components, but the provision of strategic intelligence.

Based on what was revealed by The Wall Street Journal, he considered it plausible that Moscow is providing support to Tehran, although he doubts that it can part with military equipment on a large scale due to the demands of the war in Ukraine.

Heimovits pointed out that, although it would not be a direct participation of Russia in the conflict, yes could be interpreted as a form of indirect involvement with potentially serious consequences for the United States.

Nevertheless, ruled out an immediate escalation towards a broader confrontation with an open Russian presence.

In his opinion, the greatest risk lies in a political effect: if Washington manages to link successful Iranian attacks – for example, against US bases in the region – with intelligence provided by Moscow, There could be a change in Donald Trump’s positionwho has so far shown good disposition towards the Kremlin, reactivating massive military support for Ukraine.

The analyst also stressed that the relationship between Trump and Russia is asymmetrical. While the US president has sought rapprochement, President Putin continues to see the United States as his main geopolitical rival. However, this rivalry does not imply – according to Heimovits – that Moscow is willing to take a more risky step in the Middle East.

“Russia is not winning the war in Ukraine and each advance costs it dearly; provoking a reaction from the United States would be counterproductive”he explained, ruling out more open military involvement.

Therefore, he concluded that Any Russian support for Iran would remain at a discreet level, focused on intelligence and limited cooperation, rather than on the massive shipment of weapons that, furthermore, Moscow would not be in a position to offer.

More than a simple gesture of reciprocity for Iranian aid in UkraineHeimovits interpreted this cooperation as part of a larger strategy: weaken the global position of the United States. “If Washington does not achieve its objectives against Iran, the cost in prestige would be high, and that is something that Russia seeks to exploit,” he stated.

For his part, the international analyst Francisco Belaunde Matossian considered that he would be facing a Moscow’s indirect participation in the war against the United States and Israel.

“It is a logic similar to that of Western support for Ukraine: weapons and intelligence are delivered without directly intervening”explained to The Commerceby framing this cooperation as a response from the Kremlin to the support that Washington and Europe have given to kyiv.

Along these lines, Belaunde maintained that This assistance, particularly in intelligence, already has a relevant weight in the conflictby allowing Iran Improve the precision of your attacks. However, considered it unlikely that Russia will make a leap towards more open military aid in the short term.

“Moscow also faces limitations due to the war in Ukraine, so it needs to preserve its own weapons,” he pointed out.

Even so, he did not rule out scenarios of greater involvement if the context allows it, although he warned that any decision in that regard would be carefully calculated by Putin.

The analyst also pointed to political factors that could influence the evolution of the conflict, such as the attitude of trumpwhom he described as relatively permissive in the face of these dynamics. In this context, he pointed out that Russian-Iranian cooperation could generate indirect escalation, not necessarily through direct intervention by Moscow, but through a progressive strengthening of Iranian capabilities.

Beyond reciprocity for the support that Tehran gave to Russia In the war in Ukraine, Belaunde identified other strategic interests. On the one hand, he maintained that Moscow seeks to show that it is not abandoning its partnersin response to previous criticism about his role with allies. On the other hand, benefits economically from tension in the Strait of Hormuzas the increase in the price of oil relieves pressure on its economy.

Finally, he added that This cooperation also allows Russia to project power against the United States. and avoid the perception of weakness on the global stage.