The Washington Post reported Sunday that U.S. and allied security officials revealed Iran has agreed to sell Russia “Iranian-made surface-to-surface missiles.” They are intended “for use against Ukrainian cities and troop positions.”
In August, reports surfaced that Russia was buying remotely piloted aircraft from Iran, including the Mohajer-6 and the Shahed-series drones. Russian cargo flights reportedly picked up the first order of drones in late August, according to The Washington Post. Additionally, it is rumored that Iranians allegedly are training Russian soldiers to use them in.
“They teach the Russians how to use kamikaze drones, and directly monitor the launch of drones on Ukrainian civilian targets, including strikes on Mykolaiv and Odesa,” the Ukrainian National Resistance Center said on Wednesday.
Officials say the latest round of sales marks “the first time an Iran-to-Russia missiles sale has gone forward since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.”
The Post states intelligence reports show “that Russia, per a deal struck on Sept. 18, will buy the Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar short-range ballistic missiles, which are capable of hitting targets at 300 and 700 kilometers, respectively. The reports hold that Iran is already preparing the first shipment of missiles.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian denied that Iran has provided drones or weapons to Russia. “We believe that arming either side will prolong the war, and we do not think that war is the right way – not in Ukraine, not in Yemen, not in Syria, not in Afghanistan,” said Amir-Abdollahian, according to Israel’s Maariv news.
The Washington Post, however, reported: “Independent news outlets in recent days published photos of the remains of what appear to be Iranian-made drones used in strikes against Ukrainian targets, calling into question Iran’s repeated denials that it has supplied such weapons to its ally Russia. Pentagon officials also publicly confirmed the use of Iranian drones in Russian airstrikes, as well as Ukraine’s success in shooting some of the drones down.”
The Jerusalem Post reported that it’s “unclear how Israel plans to respond, if at all, to Iran’s reported military support for Russia. The use of Iranian suicide drones and missiles in Ukraine not only helps Russia in the battle, but also provides the Iranian regime with insights about how its military equipment functions in combat.”