Bonus: The $20,000 Flying Bomb - Iran’s Shahed Drone Army Explained

Iran has fired more than two thousand drones at American military bases, Gulf states, and Israel since Operation Epic Fury began. But what exactly are these weapons. Where did they come from. How do they work. And how is America fighting back.This bonus episode covers the full story of Iran's drone arsenal from the beginning. The Shahed-136, the twenty thousand dollar one-way attack drone that costs America millions to intercept every single time. The jet-powered Shahed-238 designed to destroy the radar systems that stop the slower drones. The Mohajer reconnaissance drones that find the targets. The Karrar, the Arash, and the reverse-engineered derivatives of captured American stealth aircraft. The drone attrition trap that Iran spent decades designing and that America is now caught inside. The LUCAS programme, America's direct copy of the Shahed-136 now being used against Iran. Ukraine's four years of hard-won counter-drone expertise now being deployed in the Persian Gulf. And the layered defence strategy that America and its allies are building right now to close the gap.No technical background needed. Just everything you need to understand the weapon at the centre of this war.Iran drone arsenal explained, Shahed 136 explained, Iran Shahed drone Operation Epic Fury, LUCAS drone America copies Iran, drone attrition trap explained, THAAD Patriot stockpile crisis, Ukraine drone experts Gulf, Iran drone war podcast, breaking news podcast, geopolitics, Middle East war 2026.