Iran's Charge d'Affaires in Paris Summoned; France's Reaction to Iran's Ballistic Missile Transfers to Russia

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Charge d'Affaires of the Islamic Republic's embassy in the country. Reuters reported on Friday, citing a diplomatic source, that the Iranian Charge d'Affaires in Paris was summoned on Thursday regarding the transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia. Earlier, the British Foreign Office had also summoned the Charge d'Affaires of the Islamic Republic of Iran's embassy in London in protest against the transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine. The ministry announced on Wednesday, September 12, in a statement that the summoning of Ali Matinfar was coordinated with European partners and ordered by David Lammy, the British Foreign Secretary. The statement also mentioned that the British government had previously publicly stated its position regarding the transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia, deeming it a "dangerous escalation" of tensions and that it would respond with a "significant" reaction. Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, recently stated that Russia had received ballistic missiles from the Islamic Republic of Iran and would likely use them in its war in Ukraine within weeks. The Iranian government has denied this. Following the transfer of ballistic missiles from the Islamic Republic to Russia, four countries— the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and France—imposed new sanctions on Tuesday, September 12, against individuals and entities involved in this operation. These four countries sanctioned key individuals and entities involved in the Islamic Republic's military support for Russia, including the airline "Iran Air." The U.K., Germany, and France also canceled bilateral agreements with Iran regarding air services. In a joint statement, these three European countries described the transfer of ballistic missiles from the Islamic Republic to Russia as a sign of "increased military support from the Islamic Republic for Russia's aggression against Ukraine" and considered it an act to "target European soil with Iranian missiles and exacerbate the suffering of the Ukrainian people." The U.S. Treasury Department also announced sanctions against 20 individuals, entities, and vessels involved in the transfer of ballistic missiles from the Islamic Republic of Iran to Russia. The increasing cooperation between the Islamic Republic and Russia in recent years has prompted Western countries to impose several extensive sanction packages against Iranian individuals and entities involved in these collaborations. Experts say that currently, Russia's ballistic missile arsenal consists of missiles made in Russia and low-precision missiles made in North Korea. Strong reactions to the transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia continue, while Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, on Wednesday accused the U.S. and Europe on the social media platform "X" of acting based on "false information and flawed logic" and claimed that Iran did not send ballistic missiles to Russia. This claim comes at a time when Ahmad Bakhshaei-Ardestani, a member of the National Security Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated in an interview with the "Iran Watch" website on September 8 that Iran exports drones and missiles to Russia as part of its economic and political cooperation. In return, the Russians cooperate with Iran to circumvent sanctions. He mentioned that many of the goods imported from Russia are from Iran. Regarding the nature of Iran and Russia's cooperation, he stated, "We need to barter for our needs, including the import of soybeans and wheat. Part of the barter includes sending missiles, and the other part involves sending military drones to Russia." When asked whether the news of Iran's ballistic missile transfer to Russia could lead to more sanctions and the potential activation of the snapback mechanism, Bakhshaei-Ardestani replied, "There is no color darker than black. We give missiles to Hezbollah, Hamas, and Hashd al-Shaabi; why shouldn't we give them to Russia?" This admission by the parliamentary representative regarding the Islamic Republic's military assistance to its proxy groups comes at a time when military and political officials of the Iranian government have repeatedly denied military assistance to these groups. The U.S. and U.K. foreign ministers arrived in Kyiv to reaffirm support for Ukraine. The U.S. Secretary of State stated that the transfer of missiles to Russia during the period of the medicalian contradicts his claims for improving Iran's economy. Ukraine has not ruled out severing relations with the Islamic Republic over the missile transfer to Russia. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned 20 individuals, entities, and vessels in Iran and Russia.