WASHINGTON — The United States has informed its allies that it believes Iran has transferred short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the matter.
They did not provide details on the number of weapons delivered or the timing of the transfers, but they confirmed the findings of U.S. intelligence. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a matter that has not been made public.
The White House declined to confirm the arms transfer but reiterated concerns about Iran’s increased support for Russia. The White House has been warning Iran for months not to transfer ballistic missiles to Russia.
“Any transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would represent a dramatic escalation of Iran’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and would lead to the deaths of more Ukrainian civilians,” National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in a statement. “This partnership threatens European security and illustrates how Iran’s destabilizing influence extends beyond the Middle East and around the world.”
The U.S. discovery comes as the Kremlin tries to repel Ukraine’s surprise offensive that seized about 1,300 square kilometers of Russia’s Kursk region. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pressuring his allies to allow his country to use Western-supplied missiles to strike deep into Russia and hit sites from which Moscow launches airstrikes.
Iran, as it has done in previous US intelligence investigations, has denied supplying Russia with weapons for its war in Ukraine.
“Iran considers it inhumane to provide military assistance to the parties involved in the conflict – which leads to increased human losses, destruction of infrastructure and a move away from ceasefire negotiations,” the Iranian mission to the United Nations said in a statement. “Thus, Iran not only refrains from engaging in such actions itself, but also calls on other countries to stop supplying weapons to the parties involved in the conflict.”
CIA Director William Burns, who was in London on Saturday for a joint appearance with his British intelligence counterpart, warned of the growing and “troubling” defense relationship involving Russia, China, Iran and North Korea that he said threatens both Ukraine and Western allies in the Middle East.
The White House has repeatedly declassified and released intelligence findings showing that North Korea has sent munitions and missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine, while Iran is supplying Moscow with attack drones and helped the Kremlin build a drone manufacturing plant.
China has refrained from supplying weapons to Russia, but has increased its sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics and other technology that Moscow in turn uses to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weapons, according to U.S. officials.
The White House has been on edge for months about a possible deal between Iran and Russia.
The Democratic administration said in January that U.S. intelligence officials had determined that a Russian-Iranian deal had not been reached, but officials were concerned that Russia’s negotiations to acquire missiles from Iran were actively progressing.
Last September, according to the White House, Iran hosted a senior Russian defense official to demonstrate a range of ballistic missile systems, heightening U.S. concerns about the possibility of a deal.
The United States and other countries have taken steps to thwart the procurement, sale, or transfer of ballistic missile-related items involving Iran, including by issuing guidance to private companies on Iranian missile procurement practices to ensure that these companies do not inadvertently support Iran’s development efforts.
President Joe Biden is scheduled to host British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House on Friday. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that “continued strong support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression” would be on the agenda for their meeting.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report this discovery by US intelligence services.
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Associated Press writers Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.
ABC News
