New Delhi, April 8 -- Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are considering a Ukrainian-designed interceptor drone as a low-cost alternative to counter Iranian attacks, amid depleting stockpiles of US-made missiles, a Japanese firm marketing the technology overseas told Reuters.

Since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, Tehran has launched waves of cheap mass-produced drones, including Shaheds similar to those Russia uses in Ukraine. Gulf states and US forces have largely relied on costly interceptor missiles to shoot them down.

"Everyone started doing the maths. It simply doesn't make economic sense, and people are finally waking up to that," Toru Tokushige, the chief executive of Terra Drone, told the news agency. ...