Recent reports suggest that Iran is likely supplying ballistic missiles to Russia. The Wall Street Journal reported that the US has told its allies that Iran has sent ballistic missiles to Moscow.
“We are aware of credible information provided by our allies about Iranian ballistic missiles being handed over to Russia,” EU spokesman Peter Stano said.
According to reports, Iran has fired short-range ballistic missiles at Russia, which has been at war with Ukraine for more than two years. Relations between Iran and Russia are not new, the two countries have been cooperating on various issues for decades, and Iran is seeking to cooperate with Russia on an increasing number of issues. Iran’s Mehr News Agency also reported the claim. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has denied it.
“As we have repeatedly stressed, the Islamic Republic of Iran opposes war, but supports a political solution to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and end the military conflict,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said.
“Since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, the Islamic Republic of Iran has never been involved in this conflict or its continuation,” the senior Iranian diplomat stressed, adding that Tehran has always supported a political solution and bilateral talks to end the crisis.
Iran International reported that an Iranian member of parliament acknowledged that the country has supported Russia militarily.
Major trends in the world situation
In a report on the matter, CNN quoted White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Sabet as saying in a statement that the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would mark a dramatic escalation of Iranian support for the Kremlin in its invasion of Ukraine.
CNN reports that it’s unclear when the missiles were delivered. What is known, as CNN details, is that “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told allies at a meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Liaison Group in Germany on Friday that Ukraine urgently needs to build up its air defense systems.”
The missile transfer issue is just part of a larger global trend: Reuters recently reported that US officials are concerned that Russia, China and Iran are trying to influence US elections.
Moreover, the directors of MI6 and the CIA recently warned that the international order is under its greatest threat since the Cold War.
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“The heads of MI6 and the CIA also said that the two countries were united in resisting Russia and Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine,” the BBC reported. “In the first-ever joint article, Sir Richard Moore (director of MI6) and William Burns (director of the CIA) wrote in the Financial Times that they could have foreseen the coming of the Ukrainian war and warned the international community.”
Russia’s war in Ukraine is attracting attention because Russia is slowly making advances. Despite a Ukrainian counterattack near Kursk, Russia’s sheer size and success in a war of attrition seems to be weakening the Ukrainian military.
First, it is not clear how long Ukraine can hold out, because its human resources are not infinite and are strained. The Ukraine war consumed most of US President Joe Biden’s term in office. Despite Biden and the Western countries’ support for Ukraine, Russia has proudly listed the countries that will accept its war effort. This means that countries such as Iran, China, and Turkey see an interest in the Ukraine war.
Meanwhile, Russia has also manipulated tensions with China in Asia to its own advantage.
Moreover, it is notable that Russia did not condemn the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which is increasingly being perceived as a new challenge to the world order because it was an attack on Israel, an ally of the Western powers.
Thus, the story of Iran’s transfer of missiles to Russia is not just about the missiles, but about larger symbolism.
Iran officially wants to distance itself from the issue, but it is acknowledged that it has supported Russia – it has already supplied Russia with Shahed-136 drones – and it is also taking part in the Ukraine war.
In any case, Iran cannot afford to send too many missiles to Russia, as it will likely need them at home – and while Iran has recently boasted that it is ready to confront its foes in the region – it needs them to prop up the Syrian regime and support its proxies such as Hezbollah.
Reports of the missile transfer to Russia should therefore be seen as part of the broader context of Iran-Russia relations and their impact on the region. Reports of Turkey’s upcoming Arab League meeting and a possible rapprochement between Turkey and the Syrian regime are also part of this story. The Syrian regime is a key ally of Moscow. Iran is using Syria to threaten Israel. Iran is smuggling weapons through Syria to Lebanon and has weapons stationed in Syria. Iran is trying to change the world order.