Iran has been supplying Russia with short-range ballistic missiles for its invasion of Ukraine, European and American officials told the Wall Street Journal in a report published Friday night.
According to the report, the recent weapons shipment occurred amid Western warnings and threats of further sanctions.
A US official confirmed the arrival of the missiles, which have been used as Russia stepped up attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructures - reportedly leading to the killing of dozens of civilians.
“We have been warning of the deepening security partnership between Russia and Iran since the outset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and are alarmed by these reports,” said National Security Council Spokesman Sean Savett.
“We and our partners have made clear both at the G-7 and at the NATO summits this summer that together, we are prepared to deliver significant consequences. Any transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would represent a dramatic escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.”
Iran has continued to deny the shipment to Russia. Still, a spokesman for Iran’s mission at the United Nations in New York said that Tehran “ also calls upon other countries to cease the supply of weapons to the sides involved in the conflict.”
Potential consequences for Iran
European officials told the Wall Street Journal they were working with their American counterparts to develop a response to Iran—a response that would likely result in further sanctions being issued against Iran.
Additionally, European officials said they were likely to ban Iran’s flag carrier, Iran Air, from flying to European airports, a ban that would hurt Tehran’s remaining trade options.
An anticipated action
Dozens of Russian military personnel are being trained in Iran to use the Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile system, two European intelligence sources told Reuters back in August, who had added that they expected the imminent delivery of hundreds of the satellite-guided weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
Russian defense ministry representatives are believed to have signed a contract on Dec. 13 of last year in Tehran with Iranian officials for the Fath-360 and another ballistic missile system built by Iran's government-owned Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO) called the Ababil, said the two intelligence officials, who requested anonymity in order to discuss sensitive matters.
Citing multiple confidential intelligence sources, the officials said that Russian personnel have visited Iran to learn how to operate the Fath-360 defense system, which launches missiles with a maximum range of 120 km (75 miles) and a warhead of 150 kg. One of the sources said that that "the only next possible" step after training would be actual delivery of the missiles to Russia.
Moscow possesses its own ballistic missiles, but the supply of Fath-360s could allow Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets beyond the front line while employing Iranian warheads for closer-range targets, a military expert said.