US Drones: Goal Is to Curb Iran's Nuclear Weapons

The recently revealed use of surveillance drones over Iran is part of a broadening Obama administration campaign to deter Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The shift to a more confrontational pose includes increased economic pressure, tough talk, covert action and weapons sales to Iran’s rivals in the Middle East, The Washington Post reported.

U.S. officials say the stealth drone that crashed in Iran was part of a fleet deployed by the CIA for years in its campaign against Iran’s nuclear facilities. At the same time, the White House has increased sales of fighter jets and bunker-busting bombs to Persian Gulf states and Israel, the Post reported.

The Obama administration is also tightening the economic noose around Iran by pressing European and Asian allies not to do business with the country. The economic moves, however, are having limited effect in Iran because of high oil prices, the Post reported.

The use of the drones has significantly improved intelligence gathering.

“It’s such a powerful tool to be able to keep eyes on a location for an extended period,” a former senior intelligence official told the Post. “If you can park something up there, you can get to a situation where somebody can’t do anything without being detected.”