Media: Iranian drones equipped with surveillance system developed in Israel

The Israeli company Ophir Optronics is concerned that its designs might have fallen into the hands of Iran. The company contacted the Israeli Defence Ministry with these fears.

NEWSru.co.il reports that Ophir Optronics was seeking explanations after The Wall Street Journal wrote on November 16 that some 75 per cent of the components in the Iranian drones downed in Ukraine were manufactured in the US, Europe, and Israel.

Thus, according to the publication, the Mohajer-6 drones are equipped with surveillance systems identical to those developed by the Israeli company Ophir Optronics.

One possibility suggested in the publication is that Iran ordered copies of parts made in Europe, Israel, Japan, and the United States from China.

Ophir Optronics speculates that Iran could have purchased the systems from it through intermediaries.

The defence ministry's response, quoted by the Maco website, said Israel continues to study the problem. But according to preliminary reports, the system referred to in the WSJ article is not a controlled military product, nor does it qualify as a dual-use product under Israeli and international law.