May 9, 2026

Data Cutoff: 2:00 PM ET

Carolyn Moorman, Ria Reddy, Ben Schmida, Parker Hempel, Kelly Campa, and Annika Ganzeveld

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Russia is supporting Iranian efforts to rebuild Iran’s military capabilities during the ceasefire period. The New York Times, citing US officials, reported that Russia is sending drone components to Iran via the Caspian Sea to help Iran rebuild its offensive capabilities following the war. Iran and Russia have historically used the Caspian Sea to trade non-military and military goods. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck Bandar Anzali Port along the Caspian Sea during the war to disrupt Russian shipments of military equipment, including Shahed drones, artillery shells, and other ammunition, to Iran. This report comes amid reports that Russia proposed giving Iran 5,000 short-range fiber-optic drones and an unspecified number of longer-range satellite-guided drones equipped with Starlink terminals. There is no evidence that the drone components Russia is providing to Iran during the ceasefire are related to fiber-optic or first-person view drones, however. Russian shipments of drone components to Iran support Iran’s broader effort to restore its missile and drone capabilities ahead of a potential resumption of conflict with the United States and Israel. Iran is attempting to recover weapons systems and launchers that it hid underground or that were buried under debris due to US and Israeli airstrikes. Iran would likely use weapons systems and launchers that it retrieves to resume retaliatory attacks against US forces and regional countries if conflict resumes.

Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) also supported Iranian attacks on US bases during the war. The US State Department sanctioned four entities on May 8, including several Chinese companies, for providing satellite imagery to Iran to support Iranian attacks against US forces in the region during the war. The sanctioned entities include Earth Eye and Chang Guand Satellite Technology, which are both based in the PRC and supplied Iran with satellite imagery of US and allied military facilities in the region. Western media previously reported that Iran used an Earth Eye TEE-01B reconnaissance satellite that it acquired from the PRC in 2024 to target US military assets and bases across the Middle East during the war. Russia similarly provided Iran with satellite imagery of US facilities and Shahed drones to support Iranian attacks during the war.

• Russia is supporting Iranian efforts to rebuild Iran’s military capabilities during the ceasefire period. Russia is reportedly sending drone components to Iran via the Caspian Sea to help Iran rebuild its offensive capabilities following the war, according to US officials. Russian shipments of drone components to Iran support Iran’s broader effort to restore its missile and drone capabilities ahead of a potential resumption of conflict with the United States and Israel.

• Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) also supported Iranian attacks on US bases during the war. Russia and the PRC both provided Iran with satellite imagery of US and allied bases during the war.



• Iran has not yet responded to the latest US proposal and will likely use any delay in negotiations to continue to rebuild its military capabilities. Iranian Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated on May 9 that Iran is still reviewing the US proposal and will “pay no attention to…deadlines.”

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