FT: US and Gulf countries in talks over purchase of Ukrainian Shahed interceptors

The US and at least one Gulf country are holding talks on purchasing Ukrainian interceptor drones designed to shoot down Iranian-made Shahed drones.

As reported by the Financial Times, after the launch of US and Israeli operations against Iran, Gulf states have faced the threat of strikes by Iranian Shahed drones, tens of thousands of which Tehran is said to have stockpiled.

Countries in the Middle East are now seeking new defence systems that would be cheaper than Patriot missiles. A Shahed drone costs around US$30,000, while a single interceptor missile can cost more than US$13.5 million.

The FT noted that Ukraine was the first country to deploy mass-produced interceptor drones, costing just a few thousand dollars, to destroy Russian versions of the Shahed drones launched in large numbers against Ukrainian cities.

The Pentagon is said to be showing significant interest in Ukraine's experience.

One Ukrainian official described the talks with the Pentagon as a "sensitive" matter. A defence industry representative added that any sale of Ukrainian systems, even if manufactured abroad, must be approved by Kyiv.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK would bring in experts from Ukraine to shoot down Iranian drones in the Persian Gulf.

In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had not heard of such requests but that Ukraine is ready to share its expertise in countering drones..