Shahed drones are simple, low-tech and easily produced with off-the-shelf components.

Iran's domestically built missiles and satellite carriers are displayed in a permanent exhibition at a recreational area in northern Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) Photo : AP The relentless drone attacks from Iran are exposing a stark financial imbalance in the ongoing Gulf conflict. Cheap Shahed drones, costing roughly $35,000 each, are forcing the United States and its allies to spend millions per engagement on interceptors, fighter jets and helicopters. Shahed drones are simple, low-tech and easily produced with off-the-shelf components. “If it’s relatively easy to bend aluminium, 3-D print parts, or repurpose a motorcycle engine, it becomes much harder to track production,” said Maximilian Bremer, a former US Air Force official and Stimson Center fellow. Yasir Atalan, deputy director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Futures Lab, warned bluntly: “Iran will be able to produce more if this war continues.” The affordability and simplicity of the Shaheds have allowed Iran to sustain drone operations despite heavy US and Israeli bombardment. Iran reportedly still launches 70 to 90 drones per day, down from over 400 at the start of the conflict, while Gulf states scramble to intercept them. Geography works in Iran’s favour. Drones aimed at Gulf nations reach their targets faster than those heading toward Israel, giving defenders less reaction time. Saudi and Emirati forces have shot down dozens, but some attacks still get through. A Shahed strike on Shuaiba port in Kuwait killed six US Army reservists, highlighting the human cost. Unlike expensive ballistic missiles, Shaheds can be transported in pickup trucks and launched from simple rail systems. Each drone costs a fraction of the multi-million-dollar interceptors used to stop them, creating a dramatic cost asymmetry. Even if large Iranian production facilities were destroyed, Tehran could continue manufacturing at smaller, decentralised sites or receive support from Russia, which reportedly produces up to 1,000 drones a day. Iran’s strategy avoids traditional combat against US forces, instead targeting air defences, radars and command centers to maximise impact. Every costly interceptor fired in the Gulf is one less available for Ukraine, where drones are being used in waves. The Shahed series represents decades of development, evolving from rudimentary hobbyist drones in the 1980s to long-range UAVs carrying 90-pound warheads over 1,500 miles. Iran has also exported drones to allies, including Russia and sanctions have only slowed, never fully stopped, production. Damien Spleeters of Conflict Armament Research summarised the approach, "Simplicity, commercial components, quantity over quality.” US and Israeli airstrikes may destroy large factories, but low-cost components and decentralised production make it nearly impossible to eliminate the threat. In the high-stakes game of drones versus missiles, Iran has turned the cost imbalance to its advantage: $20,000 drones force millions in defensive spending, while the war shows no signs of letting up. Latest News Megha Rawat author Megha Rawat is an Assistant News Editor at Times Now, where she drives the national news narrative with sharp political reporting, election coverage a ... View More News World News End of Article

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