Iran has reportedly agreed to a €500 million secret arms deal with Russia to purchase thousands of advanced shoulder-fired missiles, according to Reuters, citing the Financial Times.
The agreement, signed in Moscow in December, commits Russia to deliver 500 portable “Verba” launch units and 2,500 “9M336” missiles over a three-year period.
The deal was negotiated between Rosoboronexport and representatives of Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL). Deliveries are reportedly scheduled in three phases, from 2027 to 2029.
Tehran formally requested the systems in July last year, according to the Financial Times. The agreement comes amid heightened regional tensions.
In June of last year, US forces struck three major Iranian nuclear facilities during a broader military campaign involving Israel. At the time, US President Donald Trump stated that Iran’s key nuclear facilities had been destroyed.
However, a preliminary US intelligence assessment suggested the airstrikes did not eliminate Iran’s nuclear capability but only delayed it by several months.
Iranian officials have repeatedly said that the country recovered from wartime damage and that its capabilities are “stronger than ever.”
Russia maintains a strategic partnership treaty with Iran, though it does not include a mutual defense clause. Earlier this month, a Russian naval corvette conducted joint maneuvers with the Iranian navy in the Gulf of Oman, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry.
