LONDON – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Tuesday that Russia has received ballistic missiles from Iran, which could be deployed in Ukraine within weeks. Speaking at a press conference in London ahead of a visit to Kyiv with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Blinken highlighted the potential impact of this development on European security.
Blinken stated that Washington had privately warned Iran that supplying ballistic missiles to Russia would represent a “dramatic escalation.” The U.S. plans to impose new sanctions on Iran later on Tuesday in response to this development.
According to Blinken, intelligence shared with U.S. allies and partners indicates that the Iranian missiles will enhance Russia’s capability to strike targets further from the front lines in Ukraine. This cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, he warned, poses a broader threat to European security and exemplifies Iran’s destabilizing influence extending beyond the Middle East.
In addition to the new sanctions targeting Iran Air, other countries are anticipated to announce their own measures against Iran. Blinken also noted that Russia and Iran are collaborating on technology sharing, including in the nuclear sector.