The potential supply of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would dramatically escalate the conflict in Ukraine, U.S. officials warned on Friday following reports that Iran and Russia have deepened their cooperation on such arms transfers.
White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said the United States is alarmed by these reports.
“Any transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would constitute a dramatic escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine,” Savett stated.
Reuters reported in August that Russia was expecting a shipment of hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles, specifically Fath-360.
On September 6, the Wall Street Journal reported that short-range missiles have been sent to Russia from Iran.
The visit of Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu to Tehran on August 6 — who was previously Russia’s Defense Minister — fueled speculation that Moscow is seeking to acquire missiles from Iran.
Since the early months of the war in Ukraine, Russia is suspected of using Iranian-made Shahed and Mohajer-6 drones, many of which have been recovered after crashing in Ukrainian cities and battlefields.
Initially, Iran denied arming Russia but later admitted to supplying “a limited number of drones” to Moscow before the conflict.
Despite significant evidence, Tehran continues to deny that its drones are being used by Russia against Ukraine. This has not stopped the U.S. and the European Union from imposing sanctions on Iran for supporting Moscow.
