Trump’s 'tactical miscalculation' shot down military deal that could've saved lives

In a report from Axios on Tuesday, inside sources revealed "one of the biggest tactical miscalculations" made by the U.S. military under Donald Trump's watch, and it is a mistake that has likely cost lives in the ongoing war with Iran.

According to the report, the military turned down an offer from Ukrainian officials to sell them technology that could successfully counter Iran's Shahed drones. This technology had been "battle tested" against the drones, as Russia deployed them frequently during its ongoing invasion of the Eastern European nation. A PowerPoint presentation, obtained by Axios, was even created to explain to U.S. officials how effectively the tech could protect military assets and allies in the Middle East.

The military, however, turned down the offer, and insiders familiar with the situation now say that it "ranks as one of the biggest tactical miscalculations by the administration since the bombing of Iran began Feb. 28." Seven U.S. service members have been killed in the Iranian conflict since it began, with each of those deaths linked to counterattacks by Shahed drones. The U.S. military and its allies in the Middle East have also reportedly lost millions trying to intercept them.

"If there's a tactical error or a mistake we made leading up to this [war in Iran], this was it," one anonymous source told Axios.

Shahed drones are notable for how cheap they are to produce and how easily they can be mass-produced. Critics of Trump's approach to the war with Iran have observed that these drones have effectively allowed a country like Iran, with a smaller and less powerful military, to hold its own against a superpower like the U.S. American officials have also reportedly admitted that the Shahed drones are presenting a much greater threat than they anticipated heading into the conflict.

Given the extent to which Russia has deployed repurposed Shahed drones over the last four years, Ukraine is perhaps the country with the most experience countering them, and has developed what Axios called "a low-cost interceptor drone, among other sensors and air defenses, to shoot down Shahed-style drones."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly made the offer to Trump during a closed-door meeting on Aug. 18. Though the president did not actively dismiss the idea at the time, his administration has since made its disinterest clear.

"At that meeting ... in August, Trump asked his team to work on it, but they have done nothing," a Ukrainian official told Axios.

"We figured it was Zelensky being Zelensky. Somebody decided not to buy it," another American official added.

As of Thursday last week, the U.S. had reportedly reversed course and requested anti-drone aid from Ukraine.

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