Iran has completed its long-awaited shipment of ballistic missiles to Russia, defying Western warnings not to supply arms to Moscow, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing US and European officials.
The Biden administration has informed its allies that Iran delivered short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, providing Moscow with a significant new military tool amid its ongoing war against Ukraine, the WSJ report said.
This move comes despite Western warnings urging Iran not to supply arms to Russia, and marks a major escalation in Iran’s military support for Russia.
"The missiles have finally been delivered," a US official said. The shipment reportedly includes several hundred short-range ballistic missiles, capable of reaching up to 500 miles. These missiles could help bolster Russia’s intensified missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, which have recently led to the deaths 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 White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett. "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 had already been providing drones to Russia, which have been used extensively in Ukraine. Additionally, Russia has sourced ammunition and missiles from North Korea for its military campaign.
Such a deepening partnership could further isolate Iran from the West and worsen an economy already in crisis mode, as ballistic missile transfers to Russia would likely be met with additional sanctions on Iran by Western powers, as promised by Ukraine's western allies.
In response to the missile deliveries, European and US officials are preparing to implement new sanctions against Iran, according to the WSJ report.
European leaders had previously warned that they would impose coordinated sanctions if Iran proceeded with the missile transfers.
According to Western officials, sanctions could include banning Iran's flag carrier, Iran Air, from European airports, and targeting companies and individuals involved in the missile shipments, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Russia's access to Iranian ballistic missiles could devastate civilian populations, marking a turning point in the conflict, Farzin Nadimi, a Senior Fellow with the Washington Institute, told Iran International.
He said some of these missiles will have enough range to hit Western Ukraine and strike important targets like railway stations. "It's going to have a really bad effect on civilians."
