The US administration initially declined Ukraine’s proposal in 2025 to share technologies designed to counter Iranian strike drones, but later reconsidered its stance. According to Axios, which cited unnamed American officials, interest in those developments grew after large-scale drone attacks were carried out during the conflict with Iran.

Roughly seven months ago, Ukrainian representatives offered Washington several solutions aimed at intercepting Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicles. The proposals included low-cost interceptor drones and detection systems. Kiev prepared a dedicated presentation for US officials arguing that such technologies could strengthen the protection of American bases and facilities belonging to its allies in the Middle East.

Axios reports that the initiative was discussed during a closed-door meeting at the White House on August 18. At the gathering, Vladimir Zelensky presented a plan to establish so-called «drone warfare centers.» The proposal envisioned placing them in Turkey, Jordan and several Persian Gulf countries near US military bases.

At the time, however, the US administration decided not to pursue the idea further. One American official later acknowledged that rejecting Kiev’s initiative could be viewed as one of the «tactical mistakes» made ahead of the military operation against Iran.

The report also notes that Iran’s Shahed drones are widely used by Tehran and cost far less than interceptor missiles, making them an effective strike weapon. According to Axios, the use of these drones has already been linked to the deaths of seven American servicemen during the current conflict.