Continued Reactions to 'Iran's Delivery of Ballistic Missiles to Russia'

Following a report by the Wall Street Journal that Iran has sent ballistic missiles to Russia despite Western warnings, two other media outlets confirmed the news, and reactions continued within Iran. The Associated Press and the New York Times reported separately on Saturday, September 8, citing their sources that Iran has sent ballistic missiles to Russia. The Associated Press reported, citing two informed sources, that the U.S. has informed its allies that Iran recently transferred short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the Ukraine war. According to the news agency, these two sources did not provide details about the number of missiles or the timing of their delivery, only confirming U.S. intelligence findings. Previously, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a U.S. official, that Iran had delivered about two hundred short-range ballistic missiles to Russia in recent days. The White House expressed its concern over the potential shipment of Iranian missiles to Russia without confirming the news. The Iranian representation at the United Nations also denied reports of missile shipments from Iran to Russia. Meanwhile, the New York Times also confirmed the transfer of Iranian short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, citing several American and European officials who requested anonymity. The newspaper quoted a senior European official as saying, 'The question now is how Washington and the West will respond.' This European official, referring to the presidential election campaigns in the U.S. and Joe Biden's situation as he approaches the final months of his presidency, told the New York Times, 'It is unclear how strong Washington's response will be.' So far, White House officials have not confirmed the shipment of ballistic missiles from Iran to Russia, but they have previously warned Iran that such an action would face a swift and severe response from Washington. Details about Iran's potential action in sending missiles to Russia have not been widely published. However, the British newspaper Times reported on Friday, citing a Ukrainian source, that the shipment 'included more than 200 Fateh-360 missiles' and 'was delivered to an undisclosed port in the Caspian Sea on Wednesday.' This report has not been confirmed by official sources and has only been published by this London newspaper and a few Ukrainian media outlets. On the other hand, reactions in Iran to the news of the ballistic missile transfer to Russia continue. Despite the denial by the Iranian representation at the United Nations, a member of parliament implicitly confirmed the shipment of these missiles to Russia and 'bartering them for wheat and soybeans.' Ahmad Bakhshaei Ardestani, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the parliament, told the Iran Watch website, 'There is no color darker than black; we give missiles to Hezbollah, Hamas, and Hashd al-Shaabi, so why not to Russia?' It has previously been reported that the European Union is preparing a set of sanctions to address Iran's potential actions, with sanctions against Iran Air, Iran's national airline, included in this package. This news has sparked reactions in Iran, including from Davood Manzoor, the former head of the Planning and Budget Organization, who tweeted, 'Very important. This sanction, if it occurs, could be very costly.' International media, including the New York Times, have stated that Iran's new missiles will help Russia destroy more civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, announced two days ago that Russia drops about four thousand bombs on eastern Ukraine each month.