'$41 million in US vs '$40,000 in Iran': Donald Trump praises Iranian drones for being 'good, fast and deadly'

NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump has drawn attention with his remarks praising the efficiency and affordability of Iranian drones while criticising the high costs associated with American defence manufacturers. In a recent press briefing, Trump highlighted the stark price difference between drones produced by Iran and those proposed by US companies.Speaking at a press briefing, Trump contrasted Iran’s production costs “$35,000 to $40,000” with US manufacturers quoting $41 million for comparable models.“I asked one of the companies I want a lot of drones... and in the case of Iran, they make a good drone. And it makes them for 35-40 thousand dollars,” Trump said. “So I say to this company, I wanna see... they came in 2 weeks later with a drone that cost 41 million. I said that’s not what I’m talking about.”Trump called the drones “very good too and fast and deadly,” adding, “They are horrible actually. When you look at what’s happening with Russia, a drone is killing tremendous number of people. You hide behind a tree, a drone comes down and circles you with fire. You don’t have a chance. A tree comes down also.”His remarks appeared to reference the role of loitering munitions in recent conflicts like Russia’s war in Ukraine. The comments drew attention for both their blunt assessment of modern warfare and their unusual praise for Iranian capabilities—despite longstanding tensions between Washington and Tehran.In a separate interview, Trump suggested he was open to trade negotiations with Iran, provided it does not pursue nuclear weapons.“Iran wants to trade with us… and I’m OK with that,” he said. “We make a deal, they’ll be very happy. But… they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon.”Trump also added, “I’m using trade to settle scores and to make peace.”Meanwhile, Trump signalled growing optimism over a possible nuclear deal with Iran, suggesting that an agreement may be within reach and could prevent military conflict. Speaking during his Gulf tour, Trump told reporters in Qatar: “We're not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran. I think we're getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this.” The remarks, which followed a meeting with the Emir of Qatar, immediately triggered a drop in global oil prices, with Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate both falling more than 3 percent.