Iran reportedly sent 400 ballistic missiles to Russia that are capable of conducting short-range attacks, supplementing Moscow's continued invasion of Ukraine.
The development is seen as an effort to deepen the military cooperation between the two U.S.-sanctioned countries. Iran's provision of hundreds of ballistic missiles include many from the Fateh-110 family of short-range ballistic weapons, such as the Zolfagha.
Iran Sent Ballistic Missiles to Russia
Experts explained that the road-mobile missile is capable of striking targets that are located at a distance of between 300 and 700 kilometers. Iran's defense ministry, as well as its Revolutionary Guards, which is an elite force that is responsible for overseeing the nation's ballistic missile program, declined to comment regarding the development.
On the other hand, Russia's defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the development. The situation comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin's military troops claimed to have recaptured a key bridgehead on the Dnipro river, the village of Krynky, amid the war.
Ukraine's military has dismissed a claim by Moscow's defense ministry that Russia's forces have secured full control over the village of Krynky, which is located on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in southern Kherson, as per the Independent.
In a separate statement, the Ukrainian military's southern district said that Russian forces had made no headway on the eastern bank. They added that Sergei Shoigu's statement was a "falsification of the facts."
The shipments of Iran's ballistic missiles to Russia reportedly started in early January this year after a deal was finalized in meetings that were held last year. The meetings were between Iranian and Russian military and security officials. They took place in Tehran and Moscow.
One anonymous Iranian military official said that there had been at least four shipments of the ballistic missiles and noted that there would be more that would come in the following weeks. He declined to provide any further details regarding the shipments.
Supplementing Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
Another senior Iranian official said that some of the ballistic missiles were sent to Russia by ship via the Caspian Sea while others were transported to the region by plane. The second official said that there would be more shipments, adding that there was no reason to hide that fact, according to Fox News.
The shipments come as United Nations Security Council restrictions on Iran's export that include missiles, drones, and other technologies, expired in October last year. However, the United States as well as the European Union retained sanctions on the country's ballistic missile program. This was amid concerns over exports of weapons to its proxies in the Middle East as well as Russia.
White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said in early January that the U.S. was concerned that Moscow was close to acquiring short-range ballistic weapons from Iran. This was on top of the missiles that Moscow already sourced from North Korea.
An American official said that Washington had seen evidence of discussions actively advancing but no indication yet of deliveries having taken place. On the other hand, the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Iran's supposed missile deliveries, said Reuters.
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