U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accused Iran of sending short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, which are expected to be used against Ukraine within weeks. Blinken made the announcement during a visit to London, where he stated that the U.S. and its allies would impose new sanctions on Iran for defying warnings about sending the missiles.
According to Blinken, dozens of Russian military personnel have been trained in Iran on the use of the Fath-360 missile, which has a range of 75 miles (120 kilometers). He warned Iran privately that taking this step would constitute a significant escalation in the conflict.
“Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine against Ukrainians,” Blinken said at a news conference in London. He added that Iran’s actions would undermine its efforts to restore engagement with Europe and receive sanctions relief.
In response, Germany, France, and Britain announced that they would impose new sanctions on Tehran over the missile transfers. The countries stated they would cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran and work towards imposing sanctions on Iran Air.
They also vowed to pursue designations of significant entities and individuals involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program and the transfer of weapons to Russia.
Blinken and U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy also announced plans to travel together to Ukraine this week, demonstrating their commitment to supporting the country. This joint trip to Kyiv is the first of its kind in recent years between the two senior diplomats.
