Middle East & Africa | The new predators

Why drones are becoming Iran’s weapons of choice

The attempt to kill Iraq’s prime minister highlights how Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicles are changing the military balance in the Middle East

Up to no good

USING DRONES to assassinate people has long been the preserve of the most advanced armed forces, such as America’s and Israel’s. But the attempt on November 7th to kill Iraq’s prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, was a dramatic demonstration of how such “precision strike” capabilities are spreading to less advanced countries and even shadowy militias.

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “The new predators”

Putin’s new era of repression

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