Following several weeks of reports that Iran and Russia are planning the transfer of tactical ballistic missiles from the former to the latter, and two years of speculation that such acquisitions could take place, multiple sources have confirmed that the Russian Armed Forces have begun receiving Iranian missiles.
The Wall Street Journal was one of the first Western sources to report the transfer had already taken place, citing European officials who stated that the EU and U.S. were planning to escalate economic warfare efforts against the Middle Eastern country in response.
"Iran has sent short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, giving Moscow another powerful military tool to use in its war against Ukraine. The move follows stern warnings from the West not to supply the weapons to Moscow," the article stated, noting that Washington had already informed its allies of the transfer.
Intelligence sources were subsequently cited by CNN stating that the deal had been in the works for almost a year.
The Fateh-110 ballistic missile and its new lighter counterpart the Fateh-360 are reportedly the primary missile classes in which Russia has shown an interest. Both have very short ranges of just 300 and 120 kilometres, allowing them to serve as lower cost and lighter counterparts to missiles from the Russian Iskander-M system and the KN-23 and KN-24 systems acquired from North Korea. Iranian ballistic missiles have demonstrated very high levels of precision in combat operations in the past.
Missile Battery From Fateh-360 System
As of September 9, Western sources estimate that over 200 missiles from the Fateh-360 system have been delivered, leaving the possibility of Fateh-110 deliveries in question.
It is notable that the North Korean KN-25 rocket artillery system provides a similar range to extended ranged variants of the Fateh-110, with acquisitions of these Korean system potentially having diminished Russian interest in the larger Iranian missiles.
Responding to reports of missile transfers to Russia, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry threatened Tehran with consequences, issuing the following statement: “We warn official Tehran that if the fact of Iran’s transfer of ballistic missiles to the Russian Federation is confirmed, this will have devastating consequences for Ukrainian-Iranian bilateral relations.”
It is notable that the export of Iranian military drones to Russia from late 2022 caused sufficient concern in Ukraine that Ukrainian officials openly advocated launching attacks on industrial targets in Iran, with similar threats expected to be issued once Iranian missiles begin to be used.
The possibility of Ukraine planning attacks on Iranian targets also cannot be ruled out, with Ukrainian special forces having already supported attacks on Russian strategic partners namely Mali and Syria.
Missile Launch From Fateh-360 System
The export of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia was confirmed by Iranian Member of Parliament Ahmad Bakhshaesh Ardestani, a member of the parliamentary committee on national security, who provided the following details regarding the terms of the transfer: "We have to engage in barter to meet our needs, including importing soybeans and wheat. Part of the barter involves sending missiles and another part involves sending military drones to Russia.”
Asked whether this could lead to increased sanctions against Iran, Ardestani replied: "It can't be worse than it is now. We give rockets to Hezbollah, Hamas and Hashd al-Shaabi, so why not give them to Russia?" "We sell weapons and get dollars. We bypass sanctions thanks to our partnership with Russia. We import soybeans, corn and other goods from Russia. Europeans sell weapons to Ukraine. NATO entered Ukraine, so why don't we support our ally by sending missiles and drones to Russia?" Ardestani added.
Although Iran was previously expected to acquire Russian Su-35 fighters worth approximately $2 billion as part of barter agreements, as well as Mi-28 attack helicopters, a number of reports have indicated that this deal may have collapsed.
Iranian acquisitions of Russian Yak-130 trainers in September 2023, however, are thought to have been financed by barter deals, with Russia reported to have paid for other portions of its arms acquisitions through exports of physical gold.
Wankees should remove all current shackles on Western weapons , especially missiles to be used to counterattack on Rus-sai soil.
ReplyDeleteBut Sleepy Joe Biden is too far gone in his Alzheimers to be able to take the decision.
So, what about yr fart of the S3 initiative?
DeleteBloody demoNcratic warmonger!