US and Iran lead global military drone exports

Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) indicates that between 2022 and 2025, the United States was the world's leading exporter of military drones, with 7,592 units delivered. This narrowly exceeded Iran's 6,800 exports. However, in 2025, Iran overtook the U.S. in annual deliveries, exporting 2,002 drones compared to 402 from the United States.

Geographic distribution shows that 95% of American drone shipments were sent to Ukraine, while subsequent deliveries have shifted toward Taiwan following a suspension of military assistance to Ukraine. Conversely, 99% of Iranian drone exports, primarily Shahed-136 one-way attack systems, were received by Russia.

Reports regarding Middle East operations also highlight a significant cost imbalance in drone warfare. While countering Iranian threats, U.S. forces have utilized high-cost assets, such as Tomahawk cruise missiles costing approximately $2 million each, to intercept relatively inexpensive Iranian drones valued between $20,000 and $50,000. Estimates suggest that U.S. expenditures for certain regional operations reached between $2.3 billion and $2.8 billion, while the manufacturing cost of the targeted Iranian drones was reportedly less than $5 million.