Iran asked Russia for new Geran drones to attack Israel and the US — FT
Earlier this year, Iran asked Russia to provide a new generation of Geran drones for attacks on Israeli and US targets during the Israeli-American war with Iran. This was reported by the Jerusalem Post, citing the Financial Times.
Tehran’s request
According to the Financial Times, Tehran made the request after significant improvements to the Russian Geran drone family. The publication cited Western security officials and a source close to the Kremlin.
Russia, an aggressor state, created the first Gerans based on Iranian Shaheds. Moscow began producing these drones in 2023. The first-generation Geran has a 20-kilogram warhead and a maximum speed of 185 kilometers per hour.
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Characteristics of the new models
In Russia’s war against Ukraine, the publication reports, jet-powered Geran-4 and Geran-5 drones, successors to propeller-driven models, have recently begun to be used. They are said to pose a greater threat than previous generations because they can evade air defense systems more easily.
The Geran-5 is equipped with a 90-kilogram warhead and can reach speeds of up to 600 kilometers per hour. The Financial Times notes that this drone looks more like a cruise missile, while the Geran-4 is more aerodynamic than its predecessor. Both aircraft have a longer range, thermal imaging systems, artificial intelligence-based guidance systems, Russian anti-jamming antennas, and Chinese mesh-network modems.
Pro-Russian media also claimed that Geran-5 drones can be launched from Su-25 fighter jets, which, according to their information, Tehran purchased in 2025. In March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with CNN that Iran had used Russian-made Shaheds to attack US bases.
