Iran to 'reverse engineer' US drone

[Xithras]

32. That's an incorrect stereotype.

Iranian students can, and do, get student visas and study at U.S. colleges and universities. I've personally taught several over the years. All were Iranian citizens who came here on student visas, all were pursuing various computer engineering degrees, and all of the ones I spoke with about it were planning on returning to Iran when their studies were finished.

The ayatollas clamped down hard on foreign educational options for Iranians after they came to power in the 1970's, but those restrictions have been greatly relaxed over the past couple decades, and untold thousands of Iranian students have studied abroad and then taken their skills back home. I don't know how many exactly, but I do know that Cal (my alma mater) has a student group just for current Iranian students and alumni with more than 4,000 members. And that's just one university.

Iran took a serious hit to its technical know-how when many of its engineers and intellectuals fled after the revolution. It's taken some time, but they realized the danger of that move, and the Iranian government now actively promotes the idea of studying abroad to its own citizens. It's not simply trying to rebuild its technological capabilities, but has been actively doing so since the mid-90's.

I'd be shocked if they didn't have people capable of reverse engineering every component on that aircraft.