Reuters: The Islamic Republic of Iran has sent hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia

The news agency "Reuters" reports in an exclusive story citing six informed sources that the Islamic Republic of Iran has sent a large number of powerful ground-to-ground ballistic missiles to Russia. The agency also reported on the expansion of military cooperation between the two countries, both of which are under U.S. sanctions. Three Iranian sources told Reuters that Iran has delivered about 400 missiles, including short-range ballistic weapons like "Fateh-110" and "Zolfaqar," to Russia. According to experts, these road-mobile missiles can target locations at distances of 300 to 700 kilometers. The Iranian Ministry of Defense and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which oversees Iran's ballistic missile program, declined to comment on this matter, and the Russian Ministry of Defense has not responded to Reuters' request for comment. One Iranian source stated that the shipment of these military supplies began in early last month and is part of an agreement finalized last year between military and security officials in Tehran and Moscow. An Iranian military official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said that at least four missile shipments have been sent to Russia, with more shipments expected in the coming weeks. Another senior Iranian official told Reuters that some missiles were sent by ship across the Caspian Sea to Russia, while others were transported by plane. The second Iranian official, indicating that more military shipments will be sent to Russia, stated that "there is no reason to hide this matter," adding that "the Islamic Republic is allowed to export weapons to any country it wishes." The United Nations Security Council's restrictions on the export of certain missiles, drones, and other technologies from Iran expired last October. However, the U.S. and the European Union have maintained sanctions against the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile program amid concerns over the export of weapons to its proxy forces in the Middle East and Russia. A fourth source, without providing further details, told Reuters that Russia has recently received a large number of missiles from Iran. John Kirby, the White House National Security spokesman, said earlier this month that the U.S. is concerned that Russia is close to acquiring short-range ballistic weapons from Iran, in addition to missiles previously obtained from North Korea. An American official told Reuters that Washington has obtained evidence of progress in negotiations between the parties but has no indication of missile shipments from Iran to Russia. The U.S. Department of Defense has yet to respond to requests for comment on the missile deliveries to Russia. The chief prosecutor of Ukraine said on Friday that ballistic missiles provided by North Korea to Russia have been unreliable on the battlefield, with only two of 24 launched missiles hitting their targets. Moscow and Pyongyang deny that missiles have been sent from North Korea to Russia. Jeffrey Lewis, an expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, states that the Fateh-110 and Zolfaqar missile families are more precise weapons. He adds that Russia uses these weapons to attack "important targets" that require "precise destruction." A Ukrainian military source told Reuters that Kyiv has not yet observed the use of Iranian ballistic missiles in Russian attacks, but the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has not commented on this matter. Andriy Zagorodnyuk, former Minister of Defense of Ukraine, states that Russia wants to complete its missile arsenal at a time when delays in the approval of a large military aid package from the U.S. Congress have led to shortages of ammunition and equipment for Ukraine. Zagorodnyuk, who heads the Defense Strategies Center based in Kyiv, says, "The lack of U.S. support means a shortage of air and ground defense in Ukraine. Therefore, they want to gather a large number of missiles to bypass Ukraine's air defense." Kyiv has repeatedly urged Tehran to stop sending Shahed drones to Russia, which, along with a range of other missiles, have become a key element of Moscow's long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. The Ukrainian Air Force announced last month that Russia has launched about 3,700 Shahed drones at Ukraine since the beginning of its military invasion. These drones can fly hundreds of kilometers and explode upon impact with a target. Ukraine's air defense shoots down dozens of Shahed drones in various regions of the country every week. The Islamic Republic of Iran initially denied sending drones to Russia but later stated that it delivered a small number of these weapons to Moscow before the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Nasser Kanaani, spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded on Monday to a question about Tehran's delivery of drones to Russia, saying, "Those who accuse Iran of providing weapons to one side of the Ukraine war do so for political purposes." He added, "We did not send any drones for use in the war." Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute based in Philadelphia, states that the supply of Fateh-110 and Zolfaqar missiles from Iran will give Russia "greater capability" on the battlefield. He adds that these missiles can be used to attack targets deep within Ukraine, and at the same time, intercepting ballistic missiles will be more difficult for Ukraine's air defense.