US lacks adequate defence against Iran's Shahed drones

Washington – The United States lacks adequate defence to face Iran’s Shahed drones, The Atlantic reported, citing a congressional official. ‘The US military does not have a strong defence to counter the Shahed drones,’ the source told the newspaper on Thursday. He added that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine had acknowledged the capability gaps in US ability to counter those unmanned aircraft. According to the report, the US has invested more heavily in layered defence systems designed to counter threats from distant countries like China, rather than closer-range targets such as Iran. Earlier on Wednesday, CNN reported that Hegseth acknowledged in a closed briefing with lawmakers that Iran’s one-way Shahed-136 drone posed a greater challenge to its air defences than previously estimated. On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched strikes against various targets in Iran, including Tehran, which not only caused damage but also civilian casualties. Iran responded to the military aggression with attacks on several areas in Israel, and on a number of US military bases across the Middle East. Source: Sputnik-OANA