Donald Trump has armed a squadron of kamikaze drones as nuclear negotiations with Iran have collapsed and the prospect of war with Tehran looms.
The Pentagon has approved the deployment of an experimental U.S. military drone unit capable of self-detonation, known as Task Force Scorpion, according to Bloomberg.
The deadly drone unit is a part of Trump’s massive military build-up in the Middle East – the largest since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
It comes after diplomatic negotiations between American and Iranian officials collapsed on Thursday in Geneva amid disputes over the Islamic regime’s nuclear program.
The latest round of talks ended without a deal as both sides remained divided over key issues, including ending uranium enrichment, and dismantling Iran’s nuclear facilities, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are leading the American delegation as the President makes one last push for a diplomatic solution to avoid military conflict with Iran.
The Kamikaze drone unit was successful tested in the Arabian Gulf in December and reportedly cost approximately $35,000 per drone. The drones would likely be used to target Iranian nuclear facilities, road networks, and missile launch sites.
‘We established the squadron last year to rapidly equip our warfighters with new combat drone capabilities that continue to evolve,’ said US Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins.