Exclusive | White House National Security Council: Sending Missiles to Russia Will Have Consequences for Iran

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council responded to a request from Voice of America regarding recent reports of ballistic missile shipments from the Islamic Republic to Russia, stating that this action will have consequences for the Iranian government. Shan South wrote in this statement sent to Voice of America on Friday, September 6, "We are aware of these concerning reports and consider this transfer indicative of the Islamic Republic's increasing support for Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine." Bloomberg News had previously reported on Monday, September 2, citing "informed sources" whose identities were not disclosed, that European officials believe the Iranian government will soon deliver ballistic missiles to Russia. According to this American news agency's report, these officials refrained from providing any estimates regarding the type and scope of these missiles and the timing of their delivery to Moscow, but one of them stated that the delivery could begin in the coming days. However, on Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing American and European officials, that Tehran has delivered short-range ballistic missiles to Moscow. Western officials have stated that the shipment includes hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles. Sources of this report have also indicated that the Islamic Republic is expected to send more weapons to Russia. Shan South, the spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, stated in his written comment to Voice of America on Friday that the United States has warned about the "deepening security partnership between Moscow and Tehran since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine." He further emphasized, "As we and our allies have clearly stated at both the G7 summit and the NATO meeting this summer, we are prepared to impose consequences on the Islamic Republic if these missiles are transferred." South, referring to claims by Masoud Pezeshkian about efforts to improve relations between Iran and the West, noted: "Despite these claims, the missile transfer program shows that the Islamic Republic is still distancing itself from the international community and engaging in threats to European security, so we judge the leadership of the Islamic Republic based on their actions, not their claims." For the first time, Reuters revealed in late August that dozens of Russian military personnel were being trained in Iran to use the Fateh-360 short-range ballistic missile system, and it was reported that hundreds of these satellite-guided missiles are expected to be delivered to Russia soon for use in the war against Ukraine. Vedant Patel, the Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, expressed Washington's deep concern about this issue at that time, stating, "We are still in contact with our European partners and allies regarding potential actions we may take." The White House had previously emphasized in a statement that "the United States has repeatedly warned about deeper security cooperation between Russia and Iran since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This cooperation threatens European security and indicates that Iran's destabilizing influence has extended beyond the Middle East and around the world." However, the Islamic Republic's representative at the United Nations on Friday, September 6, responded to CNN by denying reports about the ballistic missile shipment to Russia, claiming, "The Islamic Republic considers sending military assistance to the parties involved in the Ukraine conflict, which leads to increased human casualties and infrastructure damage and distances from ceasefire talks, as inhumane." The increasing cooperation between the Islamic Republic and Russia in recent years has prompted Western countries to impose several extensive sanctions packages against individuals and entities involved in these collaborations. Experts say that currently, Russia's ballistic missile arsenal consists of missiles made in Russia and those made in North Korea, which have low accuracy.