European Union (EU) leaders are ready to respond with new and significant measures against Iran amid reports that Tehran may transfer hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine, deepening the military cooperation between the two countries, which are both under US sanctions.
Speaking at the European Parliament Plenary on the preparation of the European Council, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “We are prepared to respond with additional sanctions, in case Iran provides ballistic missiles to Russia.”
EU leaders expressed concern over Iran’s transfer of missiles to Russia in a draft conclusion for their upcoming March 21-22 summit in Brussels.
“The European Council calls on third parties to immediately cease providing material support to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine,” said the draft text, seen by Reuters.
At the Brussels summit, the Union leaders will discuss supporting Ukraine in facing Russia's military aggression and the latest developments in the Middle East.
“Reports that Iran may transfer ballistic missiles and related technology to Russia for use against Ukraine are very concerning,” the draft conclusions of the summit said.
“The European Union is prepared to respond swiftly and in coordination with international partners, including with new and significant measures against Iran,” it added.
The conclusions also said the leaders would call on High Representative Josep Borrell and the Commission to prepare further sanctions against Belarus, North Korea and Iran.
On February 21, Reuters quoted six sources as saying Iran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles.
Iran has provided around 400 missiles including many from the Fateh-110 family of short-range ballistic weapons, such as the Zolfaghar, three Iranian sources said. This road-mobile missile is capable of striking targets at a distance of between 300 and 700 km, experts said.
A source confirmed that Russia had received a large number of missiles from Iran recently, without providing further details, while a US official told Reuters that Washington had seen evidence of talks actively advancing but no indication yet of deliveries having taken place.
A spokesperson for Ukraine's Air Force told national television that it had no official information on Russia obtaining such missiles. He said that ballistic missiles would pose a serious threat to Ukraine.
Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani denied that his country has supplied drones to Russia for use against Ukraine.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on February 22: “We are developing relations with Iran, including in the field of military-technical cooperation, but we do not comment on this information.”
Speaking to Russian media, Russian ambassador to Iran Alexey Dedov dismissed the claims as “baseless”.
US concern
Meanwhile, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby threatened to impose additional sanctions on Iran.
“In response to Iran's ongoing support for Russia's brutal war, we will be imposing additional sanctions on Iran in the coming days, and we are prepared to go further if Iran sells ballistic missiles to Russia,” Kirby said.
In January, he said the United States was concerned that Russia was close to acquiring short-range ballistic weapons from Iran, in addition to missiles already sourced from North Korea.
The US, Britain, France and Germany have announced they will keep their sanctions on Iran related to the country’s atomic program and its development of ballistic missiles.
The measures were to expire in October under a timetable spelled out in the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.
Iran has violated the sanctions by developing and testing ballistic missiles and sending drones to Russia for its war on Ukraine.
