In the near future, Iran is preparing to transfer launchers for short-range ballistic missiles Fath-360 to Russia.
Reuters reports this, citing its own sources among Western intelligence agencies and a regional official.
In September 2024, Iran delivered missiles to Russia on nine Russian-flagged ships. At the time, three sources told Reuters that launchers were not included in the shipment.
The Fath-360 missiles, with a range of up to 120 km, will allow Russian forces to launch operational strikes on Ukrainian positions, military facilities and settlements near the front line. According to Reuters, this indicates a deepening of military cooperation between Russia and Iran.
The deployment of these launchers could complicate US President Donald Trumpʼs efforts to broker a ceasefire and peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, and could complicate US negotiations with Iran to curb Tehranʼs nuclear program.
According to Reuters, indirect nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, brokered by Oman, are one of “several reasons” for the delay in the transfer of the launchers. The negotiations are not easy. However, analysts believe that Iran views the transfer of weapons to Russia as a separate issue, unrelated to the negotiations with the United States.
How Iran supplies weapons to Russia
Reports that Iran is transferring drones to Russia have been circulating regularly since 2022. The media also wrote in 2023 that Iran was providing Russia with shells and ammunition. Officially, Iran denies this. The then White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre confirmed that, according to US data, Russia was receiving combat drones from Iran, in particular the Mohajer-6 and Shahed.
In June 2023, it became known that Iran was providing Russia with materials for the construction of a drone production plant in the Republic of Tatarstan — at that time, the White House published a report about this and a satellite image.
In August 2024, Reuters reported that Iran was planning to transfer hundreds of Fath-360 ballistic missiles to Russia. The transfer of the missiles was confirmed by former US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on September 10. As a result,the US and the UK imposed new sanctions on Iran.
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