EU 'aware' of Iran supplying ballistic missiles to Russia; Tehran denies

Sept. 9, 2024, 12:27 p.m.

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On Monday, the European Union declared that its partners had shared intelligence indicating Iran had supplied Russia with ballistic missiles. While Tehran denied this claim, the Kremlin did not explicitly refute it.

Last week, US media outlets, citing anonymous sources, reported that Washington believed Iran had transferred weapons to Russia for use in the Ukrainian war zone.

“We are aware of the credible information provided by allies on the delivery of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia,” EU spokesman Peter Stano said.

Advertisement “We are looking further into it with our member states and if confirmed, this delivery would represent a substantive material escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.”

Stano added that “the EU leaders’ unanimous position has always been clear. The European Union will respond swiftly and in coordination with international partners, including with new and significant restrictive measures against Iran”.

Iran’s foreign ministry said it “strongly” rejected accusations it had a role in exporting arms to Russia.

For months, Western nations have cautioned Tehran against providing missiles to Russia, and the EU has already imposed multiple sanctions on Iran for supplying drones to Moscow for the Ukraine conflict.

- ‘Severe’ response -

“We strongly reject the claims on Iran’s role in exporting arms to one side of the war,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said during a weekly press conference.

When directly questioned about the Wall Street Journal's report on Iran sending missiles, the Kremlin declined to offer a denial on Monday.

“We have seen this report, it is not every time that this kind of information is true,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“Iran is our important partner, we are developing our trade and economic relations, we are developing our cooperation and dialogue in all possible areas, including the most sensitive areas.”

Advertisement The United States has said any deliveries would invoke a “severe” response and damage Tehran’s efforts to improve relations with the West following the country’s election of reformist Masoud Pezeshkian as president.

Facing severe Western sanctions, Moscow has sought out Iran and North Korea for arms supplies to sustain its military operations in Ukraine.

Ukraine claims to have been attacked almost daily by Iranian-designed Shahed drones launched from Russia, and has discovered remnants of North Korean missiles within its borders.

The reported delivery of missiles to Russia comes as the Kremlin has once again stepped up its bombing campaign against Ukraine’s key infrastructure ahead of winter.

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