European officials anticipate Iran will soon deliver ballistic missiles to Russia, a move that could escalate the war in Ukraine and prompt a swift response from Kyiv’s allies, according to Bloomberg’s anonymous sources.
Iran has provided Russia with hundreds of drones during Russia’s 2 1/2-year war against Ukraine, but the potential transfer of ballistic missiles would mark a worrying development in the conflict, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential assessments.
The exact type, quantity, and timeline of the deliveries remain undisclosed, but one official, according to Bloomberg, suggested shipments could begin within days.
The US and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies have repeatedly warned Tehran against such a move and are pressing ahead with diplomatic efforts to prevent it from happening.
Bloomberg then assumed that ballistic missile transfers to Russia would likely be met with additional sanctions on Iran, though their effectiveness would be uncertain given the raft of measures already targeting Tehran, including on drone supplies to Moscow.
Among previous measures discussed by allies are fresh restrictions on Iran Air, it said.
Group of Seven nations are also expected to publicly condemn any transfer promptly and to press their concerns with governments in the Middle East through diplomatic channels, the people told Bloomberg.
The G-7 has already imposed sanctions on Iran and North Korea for supplying Russia with weapons.
Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Minister said that Moscow and Tehran will complete the work on the preparation of the comprehensive cooperation agreement in the very near future, the Russian media Tass quoted Sergei Lavrov as saying.
Moscow has no doubt that the statements of the new Iranian president and the new foreign minister about the continuity in relations with Russia “reflect the sincere intention and attitude of the new Iranian leadership,” he added.
The Russian minister said, “I believe that the figures characterizing the growth of trade turnover and the volume of investments speak for themselves. These figures are constantly increasing, so we have a bright future.”
Last month, Reuters said Tehran pressed Moscow for the delivery of Russian made Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets.
Also in August, Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia's security council, visited Tehran where he conveyed a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei calling for restraint after the assassination of the head of the Hamas movement, Ismail Haniyeh.
