More Saudi women take the lead with over 78,000 in senior roles, 551,000 business owners    Over 40,000 expatriates face legal procedures for regulatory enforcement    King Salman and Crown Prince donate SR70 million to National Charitable Campaign    World Bank estimates Lebanon needs $11 billion for economic recovery and reconstruction    Saudi Arabia reaffirms rejection of Palestinian displacement at OIC meeting    Russia accuses EU of 'dangerous geopolitical games' over rearmament plans    Powell: Fed in no rush to adjust policy amid Trump administration's economic shifts    France begins military withdrawal from Senegal    Al Shabab stuns 10-man Al Nassr with late equalizer; Al Hilal closes gap at the top    Grand Mosque receives record number of Umrah pilgrims on Wednesday    From scholarships to housing, college students struggle with the effects of Trump orders against DEI    Saudi taekwondo star Dunia Abu Talib wins IOC gender equality award for Asia    Jeddah launches test run of sea taxi, connecting 3 waterfront locations Fare ranges between SR25 and SR50, and operation from 3:30 pm to 1:30 am during Ramadan    How TikTok is nurturing Saudi Arabia's STEM scene to support Vision 2030 goals    Mitrović returns to boost Al Hilal ahead of crucial clashes, Savić sidelined    Kanté rescues Al Ittihad with last-gasp equalizer against Al Qadsiah    Real-life shipwreck story wins major book award    Islamic Arts Biennale celebrates Ramadan with 'Biennale Nights' in Jeddah    Nora Razian and Sabih Ahmed appointed artistic directors for 2026 Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale    UK death rate 'reaches record low'    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    









White House claims Iran showcased its drones to Kremlin officials amidst Ukraine war
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 16 - 07 - 2022

The White House said Russian officials have visited an airfield in central Iran at least twice in recent weeks to view weapons-capable drones it is looking to acquire for use in its ongoing war in Ukraine.
The administration released the intelligence as President Joe Biden gets set to meet on Saturday with leaders of six Arab Gulf countries plus Egypt, Jordan and Iraq for a regional summit.
Biden is expected to lay out a "major statement" explaining his vision for the Middle East as he closes out the final leg of a four-day trip meant to bolster US positioning and align the region closer together against Iran.
Iran showcased the drones to Russian officials at Kashan Airfield on June 8 and July 15, according to the White House.
The administration also released satellite imagery of Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 drones being displayed and in flight on the airfield, while a Russian delegation transport plane was on the ground.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement that the administration has "information that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with several hundred UAVs."
"We assess an official Russian delegation recently received a showcase of Iranian attack-capable UAVs. We are releasing these images captured in June showing Iranian UAVs that the Russian government delegation saw that day," Sullivan added in a statement.
"This suggests ongoing Russian interest in acquiring Iranian attack-capable UAVs."
Sullivan said US officials believe the June visit "was the first time a Russian delegation has visited this airfield for such a showcase."
On Friday, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, in a phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, rejected reports on exporting Iranian drones to Russia, calling them "baseless".
"This sort of claims parallel with Biden's visit to occupied Palestine, or Israel, are in direction of political intentions and purposes," the website of Iran's Foreign Ministry quoted Amirabdollahian as saying.
"We oppose any move that could lead to continuation and intensifying conflicts."
Biden is looking to strengthen coordination among Middle East allies' response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and what the ongoing conflict means to the region.
Many of the Gulf nations — Saudi Arabia, in particular — have grave concerns about Iran's malign activity in the region.
None of the countries represented at the summit have joined the US in sanctioning Russia, a key foreign policy priority for the Biden administration.
Since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in late February, the UAE has emerged as a destination of choice for Russian billionaires and their multimillion-dollar yachts, while Egypt remains open to Russian tourists.
Kashan Air Base, located some 190 kilometers south of Tehran, is one of Iran's oldest airfields.
In 2021, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz linked Kashan to Iran's drone program, alleging that Iran trained militants from Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen to fly drones at the facility. — Euronews


Clic here to read the story from its source.