The United States has formally accused Iran of providing short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine, and in response, has announced new sanctions targeting Tehran.
“Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely deploy them in Ukraine within weeks, targeting Ukrainian forces,” stated US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a joint press conference with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in London on Tuesday. Blinken added that the Iranian missiles will enable Russia to strike targets farther from the front lines.
Iran has consistently denied supplying weapons to Russia for the Ukraine conflict. A statement from Iran’s mission to the United Nations emphasized that Iran opposes any military aid that contributes to human suffering and destruction. “Iran views the provision of military assistance to either side of the conflict – which exacerbates human casualties and distances the possibility of ceasefire negotiations – as inhumane,” the statement read.
Iranian officials have also rejected the allegations. Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated in a recent news conference, “We strongly reject the claims of Iran’s role in exporting arms to Russia. The accusers are themselves among the largest arms exporters fueling the conflict.”
Despite Iran’s denial, the US Treasury and State Department imposed sanctions on ten individuals and nine entities based in both Iran and Russia. These sanctions freeze any US assets held by the individuals and entities, and generally prohibit Americans from conducting business with them. Among the sanctions’ targets were ships facilitating cargo transfers between Iran and Russia, including the Port Olya-3, a Russian vessel identified as having transported short-range ballistic missiles between the Russian port of Olya and Iran’s Amirabad port between May and August of this year.
Additionally, the State Department revealed that Iran Air was further sanctioned for its role in procuring Western-made goods for Iran’s drone program. The US measures come as France, Germany, and Britain also announced the cancellation of air services agreements with Iran and pledged to impose their own sanctions on Iran Air and entities involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program.
While Ukrainian officials welcomed the sanctions, they called for more decisive action. Andriy Yermak, a senior aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, described the sanctions as a “positive step” but emphasized that Ukraine needs more than just economic penalties. “We also need authorization to use Western weapons against military targets on Russian territory, the provision of longer-range missiles, and the enhancement of our air defense systems,” Yermak stated on social media platform X.
The latest sanctions were announced as Blinken and Lammy prepared to visit Ukraine, where they are expected to meet with President Zelenskyy and other senior officials to discuss strengthening Ukraine’s defenses.
The accusations of Iran supplying missiles could further embolden Zelenskyy to push the US and its allies for permission to use Western-supplied weapons to strike deeper into Russian territory, targeting locations from which Moscow launches attacks.
Lammy labeled the missile transfers as part of a “troubling pattern” of escalation, calling it a significant development in the ongoing conflict.
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