Iran's Drone Power: A Story of Ingenuity Under Sanctions

In a revealing new book, Algerian military expert Akram Kharief meticulously details the surprising origins and remarkable ascent of Iran's drone program. Titled "In the Shadow of the Shahed," the work traces the development of this now-feared military technology back over four decades to a small university workshop in Isfahan.

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A fuel tank made from a perfusion bag. A homemade propeller. Plastic parts assembled by three students in a basement at the University of Isfahan.

Kharief's research highlights the ingenuity and strategic patience that fueled Iran's drone industry, a stark contrast to the advanced military hardware it possessed before the 1979 revolution. The fall of the Shah left Iran's air force, once a global power, crippled by its reliance on American technology and expertise. The subsequent invasion by Iraq during the brutal eight-year war forced Iran to innovate or face defeat.

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When Mohammad Reza Pahlavi leaves Iran in January 1979, he leaves behind a world-class army... but this power rests on a structural Achilles' heel: it is entirely dependent on American engineers and spare parts supplied by Grumman.

The book recounts how three young individuals—a pilot, a physics student, and a jeweler—began designing rudimentary remote-controlled aircraft with cameras in an Isfahan university workshop. These early, almost comical prototypes, initially mocked by military officials, proved their worth by providing crucial aerial intelligence over enemy lines at minimal cost. This success led to the official establishment of the "Thunder Battalion" and a dedicated drone development program.

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Deprived of aerial intelligence... Iranian forces had to innovate or die.

El Watan, as an Algerian publication, finds particular interest in Kharief's analysis of how a nation under severe international sanctions could achieve such technological prowess. The narrative of resourcefulness, strategic planning, and the development of a domestic defense industry is a compelling one, offering a different perspective than often presented in Western media, which tends to focus solely on the threat rather than the underlying national capabilities and historical context.

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The order was immediately given to create the Thunder Battalion—Raad in Persian—and to launch an official drone development program.