According to a report by the WSJ, Iran intends to apply the lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine in its confrontation with America. In particular, new warfare tactics using drones are being actively implemented in the Middle East.
President Trump has sent a significant number of American troops to the region. If his recent diplomatic efforts fail, he is considering conducting ground and naval operations aimed at regaining control over the Strait of Hormuz and compelling Iran to declare a ceasefire.
In the event of a U.S. troop landing in Iran, they will encounter an environment saturated with drone technology, which is significantly different from previous operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the main threats were small arms and improvised explosive devices.
According to retired Royal Air Force Marshal Martin Sampson, any American forces on the ground or military ships in the Persian Gulf would be easy targets, and the use of FPV drones would become a common element of capabilities for both sides. He heads the Middle East branch of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Sampson also noted that American troops heading to the region are apparently not equipped with counter-drone measures, which have become the norm in Ukraine. "Iran has likely taken this shortcoming into account and has received insights from Russia on how to exploit it," he added.
In addition to FPV drones, other technologies have also transformed warfare. Ukraine, which, like Iran, has had its traditional navy almost completely destroyed, has employed maritime drones to attack Russian warships, seriously undermining the power of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Thus, Kyiv has secured the western part of the Black Sea, including vital shipping routes to Odessa.
Military experts believe that Iranian maritime drones are likely inferior to Ukrainian ones in terms of technology and functionality, such as navigation using Starlink. Nevertheless, in confined waters like the Strait of Hormuz, they could pose a serious threat to military vessels and tankers.
Russia is actively cooperating with Tehran in military technology, exchanging experiences gained during the bloodiest war in Europe in recent decades, as noted by Western and Ukrainian officials.
It is important to understand how the U.S. armed forces have adapted their doctrine to the new type of combat they may face if Trump decides to conduct ground operations to seize islands or coastal areas of Iran.
"Iran had a good teacher in Russia, and it has been keenly studying the lessons of this war," said a Russian expert in the field. "I do not see a similar readiness in the U.S."
According to Michael Kofman, a senior researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, "American military units are still in the early stages of understanding FPV technology, its impact on the armed forces, and the potential implications for modern tactics, techniques, and procedures... Given the current defensive capabilities, we have a long way to go to reach the level that Ukraine is currently at."
The post "Iran had a good teacher in Russia." Iran will use lessons from the Ukraine conflict against America was first published on the K-News website.
