According to Reuters, the Biden administration has warned Iran about the potential consequences from the international community if Tehran supplied ballistic missiles to Russia. White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby spoke at a virtual briefing and expressed concern over the situation, emphasizing that the U.S. has yet to confirm the movement of missiles from Iran to Russia.
Reuters reported that Iran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles. Based on six different sources, this action demonstrates the deepening military cooperation between the two countries that are both sanctioned by the U.S.
John Kirby’s response to the press reporting highlighted the need to take the matter to the U.N. Security Council, implement additional sanctions against Iran, and coordinate further response options with allies and partners in Europe and elsewhere, if necessary.
The missiles provided by Iran to Russia include the Fateh-110 family of short-range ballistic weapons, such as the Zolfaghar, which are capable of striking targets at a distance of 300 km to 700 km (186 miles to 435 miles). The shipments of these weapons began in early January following the finalization of a deal between Iranian and Russian military and security officials.
Iran has also supplied Russia with Shahed drones, which have played a significant role in Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. This supply of ballistic missiles would signal an even deeper cooperation between the two nations.
John Kirby announced plans to impose additional sanctions on Iran in response to its support for Russia’s actions in Ukraine. The U.N. Security Council restrictions on Iran’s export of missiles, drones, and other technologies expired in October, but the U.S. and E.U. have retained sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile program due to concerns over weapons exports to Iran’s proxies in the Middle East and to Russia
(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Caitlin Webber in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
