The drones are the latest in Iranian aid for the embattled government of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad.
Last spring, US officials said Iran was providing Syria with help in how to block email and social network messages and to track people using them to foment opposition. Until just recently, US officials denied opposition charges that Iran was supplying weapons and snipers. US officials still say they do not believe any Iranians are actually fighting in the streets, but they say Iran is now providing lethal weapons and ammunition with which to put down the opposition.
The drone is the latest tool being used by the Syrian government to locate and track dissidents. Opposition groups have loaded videos on YouTube showing drones overhead in such cities as Homs and Hama. Some analysts say the small drones were made in Syria, but US officials told Reuters they are Iranian-made.
The drones are unarmed and are purely a tracking device.
One US official said, “At current levels, Iranian aid is important but not really a game-changer in the overall conflict.”
Iran used to fly munitions to Syria over Turkey. But the Turks have stopped that. Since the US military left Iraq in December and ceased flying over that country, Iran has been sending flights almost daily across Iraq to Damascus. US officials say they believe many of those flights carry arms and they are pressing Baghdad to demand that the planes land for inspections.