Chinese drone downed in Iran, sparking questions about UAE or Saudi Arabian role

Chinese drone downed in Iran, sparking questions about UAE or Saudi Arabian role Submitted by Sean Mathews on Thu, 04/02/2026 - 21:34 The UAE has deployed the Wing Loong drone in Sudan, as analysts question whether Gulf states are involved in offensive operations Screen grab of reported Wing Loong II Chinese drone shot down over Shiraz Iran. Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia are known to operate the drones (Screen grab/X/Tasnim News) Off Iran appears to have shot down a Chinese Wing Loong II drone in the southern region of Shiraz, sparking questions among open-source intelligence analysts about whether Gulf states like Saudi Arabia or the UAE had joined offensive operations against Iran. Images of the destroyed drone were originally shared by Iran's Tasnim news agency, which said the Iranian military had downed an American MQ-9 Reaper drone.