[1] As measured between Iran’s Qeshm Island and the Emirati city of Ras al-Khaimah. Other locations of potential strategic importance to the United States are situated at a comparable distance from Iran. Van, Turkey, and Kuwait City, Kuwait, are each approximately 85 kilometers from the Iranian border. Erbil, Iraq, and Baku, Azerbaijan, are roughly 115 and 160 kilometers from Iran’s border, respectively.

[2] Although those short-range drones have substantially altered the tactical environment in ground wars such as in Ukraine, they have featured less prominently in recent fighting in the Persian Gulf region, where there is no ground front line to date and strikes have been generally carried out against naval and infrastructure targets over long distances.

[3] One-way attack drones are UAVs that deliver an explosive payload directly to a target and self-destruct in the attack. They are also sometimes referred to as suicide drones or kamikaze drones. For the purposes of this table, loitering munitions are defined as a subset of one-way attack drones that can acquire their targets while they are in the air above the general target area (i.e., while loitering), instead of being pre-programmed before flight to strike a fixed coordinate. One-way attack drones that have some terminal guidance capability (i.e., they can adjust their course in the end stage of their flight to accurately strike a target that is not in the exact coordinate the drone was pre-programmed to hit) are not considered loitering munitions unless they have the ability to loiter above the target area for a significant length of time.

[4] Drones classified here as reconnaissance drones are unarmed in their normal configuration, but may be modified to carry munitions. Many if not all of the multipurpose drones listed here are likely capable of being equipped with air-to-surface munitions other than the ones specified; the armament given in this table reflects the configuration most commonly reported in open sources. References to guided bombs in this table generally mean that the UAV can be equipped with Ghaem- (also spelled “Qaem”) or Sadid-series bombs, which are relatively lightweight air-to-surface munitions roughly analogous to the U.S. Hellfire missile.

[5] Maximum range for one-way attack drones, operating range for reusable (reconnaissance or multipurpose) drones. The operating range is the maximum distance the drone can travel while retaining the ability to return to its point of origin.

[6] An endurance is not given for one-way attack drones that are pre-programmed to strike a fixed target. If an endurance is given as a range of time (e.g., 12-24 hours), the difference is generally due to the weight of the payload that the drone is carrying. For example, a surveillance payload may be lighter than a weapons payload, allowing the drone to fly for longer.

[7] For most drones, their average or cruising speed is less than their maximum speed.

[8] Earlier versions of the Shahed-101 use a small piston engine. In March 2026, Iranian media and independent analysts identified an updated Shahed-101 variant which uses an electric motor.

[9] In the mid-2010s, open-source analysts identified a reconnaissance drone they called “Shahed-123” operating in Iran and Syria. The Shahed-123 may have been an early prototype of the Shahed-129. In February 2026, a U.S. military spokesman referred to an Iranian drone that had been shot down after approaching a U.S. aircraft carrier as a “Shahed-139.” Social media users subsequently posted photos of a drone resembling the Shahed-129, purporting it to be a Shahed-139. It is possible that a Shahed-139 drone exists that is an upgraded version of the Shahed-129.

[10] The maximum range for the Shahed-129 is based on communications capability, flying up 2,000 km when used with ground or airborne relay stations. Otherwise, the maximum range is 200 – 400 km.

[11] Iran claims the Shahed-171 to be an exact copy of the U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel, one of which Iran captured in 2011. Other drones in its family (Shahed-141, 161, 181, and 191) are reportedly smaller-scale replicas of the RQ-170. All of the specifications for the Shahed-171 family of drones in this table come from Iranian sources.

[12] The Shahed-149’s range when carrying out strike missions is reportedly limited to 1,000 km, possibly due to the need to fly at lower altitudes in order to deliver its munitions.

[13] Available open-source information about the Shahed-197 comes primarily from Israeli and Iranian media coverage of an incident in March 2021 in which the Israeli Air Force shot down two drones approaching Israeli airspace. Israeli media outlets cite information provided by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that is no longer accessible as a primary source. Iranian media outlets dispute the IDF’s characterization of the drone as a “Shahed-197” and contend that the IDF misidentified a Shahed-181 or Shahed-191 drone.

[14] While most multipurpose drones combine a reconnaissance function with air-launched munitions, the Ababil-2 can perform limited reconnaissance and also be configured as a one-way attack drone. As an older system, however, its primary function is as a target drone for air defense systems.

[15] Publicly available information on the Ababil-5’s capabilities comes primarily from Iranian sources. Many of these sources also mention an Ababil-4 drone, but very little information is provided about it.

[16] The Mohajer-2N and Mohajer-4 can be mounted with an RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launcher and Hydra-70 unguided rockets, respectively, but those weapons are antiquated and the drones’ primary purpose is reconnaissance.

[17] Open sources do not specify the armament of the Mohajer-10, but photos of its unveiling show it equipped with an apparent Ghaem bomb, along with other munitions, and possessing six fixtures.

[18] An earlier Arash-1 (Kian-1) version exists that is reportedly powered by a jet engine and has a top speed of approximately 400 km/h.

[19] Iranian sources claim that the Arash-2 has a maximum range of 2,000 kilometers.