The White House expressed alarm on Tuesday that Iran may assist Russia with ballistic missiles for use in its war against Ukraine, which would be terrible for the Ukrainian people, according to a US national security official.
According to National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, Iran has previously provided Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles or drones, guided aerial bombs, and artillery ammunition and may be poised to “go a step further in its support for Russia.”
Kirby cited a September meeting in which Iran welcomed Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to demonstrate a variety of ballistic missile weapons, which alarmed the US.
“We are therefore concerned that Iran is considering providing Russia with ballistic missiles now for use in Ukraine,” Kirby said during a conference call with reporters. “In return for that support, Russia has been offering Tehran unprecedented defense cooperation, including on missiles, electronics, and air defense.”
Kirby’s warning came as President Joe Biden’s proposal for more than $61 billion in emergency US funds to bolster Ukraine’s military stalled in Congress. The new help for Ukraine is part of the Democratic president’s overall $106 billion spending proposal, which also includes money for Israel, Taiwan, and US border operations with Mexico.
A rising number of Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, are opposed to giving more money to Ukraine.
Kirby and other top US officials have urged Congress to provide aid for Ukraine, claiming that existing cash is running out.
He also mentioned Iran’s declaration earlier this year that it had sealed a contract with Russia to acquire Su-35 fighter planes and claimed Iran is looking to buy other military equipment from Russia, such as attack helicopters, radars, and combat-trainer aircraft.
A rising number of Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, are opposed to giving more money to Ukraine.
Kirby and other top US officials have urged Congress to provide aid for Ukraine, claiming that existing cash is running out.
He also mentioned Iran’s declaration earlier this year that it had sealed a contract with Russia to acquire Su-35 fighter planes and claimed Iran is looking to buy other military equipment from Russia, such as attack helicopters, radars, and combat-trainer aircraft.
“In total, Iran is seeking billions of dollars worth of military equipment from Russia to strengthen its military capabilities,” Mr. Kirby said. “Russia has also been helping Iran develop and maintain its satellite collection capabilities and other space-based programs.”
He said that Iran’s growing military alliance with Russia is dangerous to Ukraine, Iran’s Middle Eastern neighbors, and “quite frankly, the international community.”
Kirby stated that the Wagner mercenary force was ready to supply air defense capacity to either Hezbollah or Iran at the request of the Russian government. He stated that the US will be watching to see if this occurs and that it is prepared to deploy “counterterrorism sanctions authority against Russian individuals or entities that might make these destabilizing transfers.”
According to Kirby, the United States and other nations have taken actions to prevent the prospective supply, sale, or transfer of Iranian and ballistic missile-related products. The United States has also offered guidelines to private enterprises regarding Iranian missile procurement procedures in order to ensure that they are not unintentionally assisting Iran’s development efforts.
The White House stated in May that Russia was interested in purchasing more sophisticated attack drones from Iran for use in the fight against Ukraine after exhausting the majority of the 400 drones it had previously acquired from Tehran.
White House Reveals Iran’s Alleged Role in Assisting Russia to Establish Drone Factory East of Moscow for Ukraine Conflict
According to a US intelligence conclusion disclosed by the White House on Friday, Iran is supplying Russia with components to develop a drone manufacturing factory east of Moscow as the Kremlin seeks to secure a regular supply of armaments for its continuing invasion of Ukraine.
According to John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, US intelligence experts believe a facility in Russia’s Alabuga special economic zone might be operating early next year. The White House also provided satellite photos from April of the industrial site, several hundred miles east of Moscow, where it believes the facility “will probably be built.”
The administration of President Joe Biden openly declared in December that it thought Tehran and Moscow were exploring establishing a drone production line in Russia for the Ukraine war. The fresh intelligence indicates that the project in Tatarstan’s Yelabuga area has progressed beyond conceptualization.
Iran has stated that it delivered drones to Russia prior to the commencement of the war but has not done so subsequently.
Kirby also stated that US authorities have concluded that Iran continues to supply the Russian military with one-way attack drones manufactured in Iran, which are carried over the Caspian Sea from Amirabad in Iran to Makhachkala in Russia and then utilized by Russian forces against Ukraine.
“This is a full-scale defense partnership that is harmful to Ukraine, to Iran’s neighbors, and to the international community,” Mr. Kirby said. “We are continuing to use all the tools at our disposal to expose and disrupt these activities, including by sharing this with the public, and we are prepared to do more.”
The Biden administration published a recommendation on Friday to assist corporations and other governments in putting procedures in place to guarantee they are not accidentally contributing to Iran’s drone development.
