Page 75 - IRANRptSep22

Iran ranks among top 15 military spenders for first time in decades
"During the last several weeks, Russian officials conducted training in Iran as part of the agreement for UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] transfers from Iran to Russia," a US official told CNN, adding that the intelligence about the training has recently been declassified.
Iran began showcasing the Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 drones to Russia at Kashan Airfield south of Tehran in June, US officials have previously briefed the US broadcaster. Both drone types can be fitted with precision-guided missiles.
The Russians use homemade Orlan-10 drones for reconnaissance and electronic warfare in the war in Ukraine. But defence analysts believe they are facing difficulties in replenishing supplies, causing Moscow to request UAVs from Iran. The capabilities of Iran’s arsenal of drones are still the subject of much debate.
Fears persist, meanwhile, that Russia could use an Iranian-commissioned, Russian-built satellite it launched into orbit on August 9 to spy on Ukrainian troop movements. Iran has denied that Russia has any control over the satellite.
Iran ranked as the 14th largest military spender in the world last year, the first year in decades that it joined the top 15, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in its latest report.
Tehran raised its military budget for the first time in four years, to $24.6bn, marking an annual increase of 11%. It occurred despite economic hardship faced by a population assailed by the consequences of many years of sanctions in response to Iran’s nuclear programme.
The defence budget of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) expanded by 14%, accounting for 34% of Iran’s total military spending, the report said. It is the US designation of the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) that threatens to derail the attempt by Iran and world powers to relaunch the 2015 nuclear deal, or JCPOA, that would curb Iran’s nuclear programme in return for the dropping of sanctions. Iran is demanding the designation is dropped. The US has so far shown no willingness to agree to that move. The IRGC supports allied militias across Middle East conflict zones, including Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iran's arch-foe, Israel, believed to be the Middle East's only nuclear-armed nation, increased its military budget by 3.1% to $24.3bn last year, according to SIPRI.
75 IRAN Country Report September 2022 www.intellinews.com