Skip to content
Edit post

Iran provided no launchers with missile deliveries to Russia, Reuters reports

by Elsa Court and The Kyiv Independent news desk September 22, 2024 4:01 PM 3 min read
Members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conduct a military drill with ballistic missiles and unmanned air vehicles at Great Salt Desert, in the middle of the Iranian Plateau, on Jan. 15, 2021. (Sepahnews/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Iran did not include mobile launchers along with its delivery of ballistic missiles to Russia, Reuters reported on Sept. 21, citing three sources with knowledge of the matter.

Russia and Iran have deepened their military and political cooperation since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Tehran has provided Moscow with thousands of Shahed kamikaze drones used in attacks against Ukraine.

After months of contradictory reports, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Sept. 10 that Russia had received deliveries of Fath-360 close-range ballistic missiles from Iran.

Iran denied it had delivered ballistic missiles to Russia, calling the reports "psychological warfare."

There has been no official confirmation that Russia has used the missiles against Ukraine to date.

A European diplomat, a European intelligence official, and a U.S. official told Reuters that Iran did "not supply launchers with the Fath-360 missiles, raising questions about when and if the weapons will be operational." The officials spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Iran unveils new ballistic missile, upgraded Shahed drone
The Shahed-136B is reportedly an upgraded version of the Shahed-136, a type of drone used by Russia in near-daily attacks against Ukraine. The newer drone has an operational range of 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles).

The European intelligence official told Reuters they did not expect Iran to provide the launchers.

Expert analysis suggests this may be because Russia may modify trucks to carry the missiles. One expert told Reuters that the launchers typically used by Iranian forces may not be robust enough to operate in winter conditions in Ukraine.

Another theory is that Iran is withholding the launchers for the time being to allow for "space for new talks with Western powers on easing tensions," Reuters said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other Iranian officials are expected to meet with European officials on the sidelines of the upcoming U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Ukraine, the E.U., and the U.S. introduced more sanctions against Iran in the wake of the confirmation of the missile delivery to Russia.  

The confirmation of the deliveries marked a "further escalation of Iran's military support to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," the U.K., France, and Germany said in a joint statement.

The three countries said they have "privately and publicly been clear that we would take new and significant measures against Iran if the transfers took place."

Russia now has Iran’s Fath-360 ballistic missile — here’s what it means for Ukraine
After months of contradictory reports, the U.S. on Sept. 10 confirmed that Iran had delivered ballistic missiles to Russia in what could prove a dramatic development for Ukraine. “We’ve warned Tehran publicly, we’ve warned Tehran privately, that taking this step would be a dangerous escalation,” U.…

News Feed

11:59 PM

Ukraine to appoint first Military Ombudsman, Zelensky says.

"Together with the new commissioner, the human rights community, and the Ministry of Defense, we will draft a corresponding bill on the Military Ombudsman and establish the institutional framework for its operation," Zelensky said on Dec. 29.
10:37 PM

16-year-old arrested in Russia over anti-government school poster.

The child, who the Kyiv Independent has chosen not to identify, allegedly put up posters titled "Heroes of Russia" with photos of Denis Kapustin and Aleksiy Levkin on Dec. 26. Kapustin and Levkin are fighters in the Russian Volunteer Corps, a militant group established by Kapustin who has fought alongside Ukraine and opposes the rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
9:01 PM

Latvia to provide over 1,000 drones to Ukraine.

Latvia will transfer over 1,000 "combat drones of various types" to Ukraine through the international drone coalition, the country's Defense Minister Andris Spruds announced on social media on Dec. 28.
12:35 PM

Zelensky extends condolences over deadly South Korean plane crash.

President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed condolences on Dec. 29 to the families of victims and the people of South Korea following a tragic Jeju Air plane crash that killed at least 176 people, marking the worst disaster involving a South Korean airline in decades.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.