Iranian Shahed drones attack Gulf states and Ukraine military sites
Iran deployed Shahed 136 unmanned drones in attacks on multiple targets across the Gulf region and Ukraine. More than 1,000 drones reportedly targeted Gulf states including Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE within 48 hours, with documented strikes on military installations and civilian buildings.
What happened
Iran deployed Shahed 136 drones against targets in the Gulf region and Ukraine. More than 1,000 drones, predominantly Shahed 136s, targeted Iran's Gulf neighbours within 48 hours, with the UAE reporting 689 drone attacks of which 645 were intercepted, allowing 44 to reach their targets.
The drones struck buildings in Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE, including a direct hit on a radar dome at a US naval base in Manama, Bahrain. Video evidence showed drones flying towards high-rise towers and military installations, with engines audible before impact.
Reported impact
Drone strikes hit buildings in multiple Gulf states, with video footage from Bahrain showing a delta-winged drone slamming into a tower block with fiery debris spreading beyond balcony windows. A radar dome at the US Fifth Fleet naval base in Bahrain was destroyed by a successful strike.
The drones are described as capable of provoking terror due to their noise, large size, and final terminal dive, despite relatively low cost at $50,000 per unit and relatively limited destructive capacity from their 50kg payload.
Index analysis
Shahed 136 drones are 3.5 metres long with 2.5 metre wingspan and travel at relatively low speeds on preprogrammed complex flight paths designed to evade radar detection. There is growing evidence the drones can be remotely piloted to change course at the last minute.
The drones' range of up to 1,250 miles and ease of manufacture compared to ballistic missiles make them likely to remain a persistent feature of regional conflicts.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.