Iran supplies Russia with hundreds of ballistic missiles amid ongoing tensions
9:23 AM EST, February 22, 2024
According to Reuters, citing its sources, Tehran has dispatched approximately 400 ground-to-ground missile systems to Moscow. These systems include short-range ballistic missiles such as Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar. An Iranian informant informed the American agency that these deliveries started in early January.
An anonymous Iranian military official revealed that there have already been four missile shipments. Some were transported to Russia via the Caspian Sea, while others were airlifted. Plans for more deliveries in the forthcoming weeks are in place. "There will be more shipments," another source from Reuters confirmed. "There's no reason to hide this. We have the right to export weapons to any country," he added.
Jeffrey Lewis, an expert from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, spoke to Reuters about the potential threat these missiles could pose. He said the 400 Iranian missiles could inflict substantial damage in Ukraine, given that Fateh-110 family rockets are precision weapons. "They are used to target things of high value and require precise damage," Lewis explained.
In October, the United Nations Security Council lifted restrictions on Iran exporting certain missile systems, drones, and other technologies. Nevertheless, the United States and the European Union have opted to keep sanctions on Iran's missile program.
Source: Reuters