The Iran Breakdown with Mark Dubowitz Iran's Global Game of Drones (& How To Stockpile While Sanctioned) | feat. Kerri Bitsoff
Apr 2, 2026
Kerri Bitsoff, a former OFAC sanctions leader who targeted Iran’s procurement networks, joins to unpack Tehran’s adaptive drone and missile supply chains. She explains how Western components slip into weapons, Iran’s model for exporting drone production, and why a sustained, campaign‑style pressure is needed to disrupt these global networks.
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Iran's Weapons Depend On Western Microelectronics
- Iran's drone and missile programs depend heavily on foreign components, especially semiconductors and microelectronics.
- Kerri Bitsoff says 70–80% of foreign components in Iranian drones come from U.S. companies, forcing Iran to use lower-quality substitutes when blocked.
Supply Chains Leak U.S. Technology To Iran
- U.S. parts reach Iranian weapons through simple commercial supply chains where distributors sell to anyone and firms avoid rigorous due diligence.
- Bitsoff describes mapping trade data and websites of fictitious buyers that show U.S. companies could detect diversion but often 'don't want to know.'
Pressure Distributors With Criminal And Civil Enforcement
- Prosecute or sanction U.S. and foreign distributors to create deterrence similar to banking penalties that changed financial-sector behavior.
- Bitsoff notes banks felt pain from fines; she wants that same compliance pressure on electronics exporters.