Western analysts have estimated the cost of Iran’s Shahed-136 kamikaze drone at $20,000-$50,000 per unit, but a new analysis suggests the real figure may be closer to $7,000 or even as low as $4,000.
Esfandyar Batmanghelidj’s argument rests on a straightforward comparison. The U.S. military’s own near-equivalent drone, the LUCAS, costs $35,000 to produce, despite being a more advanced platform. Since costs of labor, materials, and equipment run roughly five times higher in the United States than in Iran (a ratio confirmed by comparing equivalent tractor models produced in both countries), a comparable Iranian drone should cost around $7,000. An Iranian academic source cited by Batmanghelidj put the figure even lower, at approximately $4,000 at current exchange rates.
