As tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, United States officials have expressed concern over recent reports stating that Iran has transferred short-range ballistic missiles to Russia. The Wall Street Journal first reported on this issue on Friday, citing U.S. and European officials who claimed that Tehran had provided Moscow with these weapons in its ongoing war against Ukraine.
The Pentagon and US intelligence have been warning about such a possibility for months now and have been threatening Iran if it were to go through with the move. Despite this, a U.S. official has confirmed that the missiles “have finally been delivered.” The Biden White House has stated that there will be “a severe response” awaiting Tehran.
NATO countries led by the United States have warned of swift and severe consequences for such actions; however, there is not much left to sanction in either Iran or Russia, as both are already highly sanctioned nations. These two countries have deepened their relations and turned to BRICS and non-aligned Global South countries due to the increased sanctions. Group of 7 countries have stated that they will coordinate to punish Iran if missile deliveries go through.
Russia has previously received thousands of Iranian kamikaze drones, which have been used in aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities for the last two and a half years. The Islamic Republic is even assisting Russia in manufacturing these drones within its borders.
The Wall Street Journal also notes the sensitive political timing of this alleged ballistic missile transfer and its potential impact on the ‘moderate’ Pezeshkian administration on the global stage.
The missile deliveries could have implications for the hopes of Iran’s new government to tamp down tensions with the West. The country’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has said he hopes to improve the domestic economy by winning sanctions relief from Europe and the United States.
However, given this recent development, it seems unlikely that Iran will receive any sanctions relief in the near future. In response to the WSJ report, Iran issued a formal rejection of its contents and denied allegations made by Western officials.
Iran’s position vis-à-vis the Ukraine conflict remains unchanged,” the Iranian Mission stated. Iran considers the provision of military assistance to the parties engaged in the conflict—which leads to increased human casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and a distancing from ceasefire negotiations—to be inhumane.
Thus, not only does Iran abstain from engaging in such actions itself but it also calls upon other countries to cease the supply of weapons to the sides involved in the conflict,” the statement added.
We recently highlighted that Russia seems to have stepped up supplies of air defense equipment to the Islamic Republic, as tensions continue to rise between Iran and Israel following the July 31 killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Expectations for a potential large-scale retaliation attack by Iran on Israel have lessened since no major strikes have occurred over a month after the incident.
Iran is also reportedly pressuring Moscow to fulfill its pledge of delivering Su-35S fighter jet fighters, as part of a previous defense deal between the two nations. In light of Iran’s heavy support for Russian forces throughout the course of the Ukraine war, it seems that Russia may be more inclined to provide assistance to Iran in response to these recent events.
