The United States’ decision to impose new sanctions on Iran over its supplying ballistic missiles to Russia has been met with a firestorm of denials from Tehran.
On September 10, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed earlier reports Iran had provided Russia ballistic missiles “in direct support of Russia’s war against Ukraine, [which] is a threat to European and global security.”
Blinken said the U.S. Treasury and State Department had imposed additional sanctions on “individuals and entities supporting such activities.”
On September 9, senior Iranian military commander Fazlollah Nozari called reports of the Russian transfer a form of “psychological warfare,” claiming “no missile was sent to Russia.”
He added that Iran does not support any party in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
One day prior, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani called allegations that Iran had transferred missiles to Russia “completely baseless,” and stated that Iran has never been a part of the military conflict in Ukraine.
Iran’s United Nations Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani likewise denied Iranian involvement in the Ukraine war, calling allegations Tehran has sold, exported or transferred arms in violation of its international obligations “misleading” and completely unfounded.”
On September 11, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said “faulty intelligence and flawed logic” had led the U.S. and European states to employ sanctions on Iran for its delivery of missiles to Russia. He said, “Iran has NOT delivered ballistic missiles to Russia. Period.”
Iran’s denial it has supported Russia’s war effort in Ukraine through the provision of weapons is false.
News reports this week said Russia had received around 200 Iranian-made Fath-360 close-range missiles. The Pentagon said that Russia’s use of the missiles in Ukraine within the coming weeks could lead to “the deaths of even more Ukrainian civilians.”
Analysts compare the Fath-360, which has a range of 121 kilometers, to the U.S. HIMARS system, which has proven crucial in Ukraine’s defense.
The U.S. has not publicized the intelligence used to determine that Iran has supplied Fath-360 missiles to Russia.
But the sanctions introduced by the U.S. Treasury Department indicate the U.S. was aware of when Tehran first signed the contract to supply Moscow with hundreds of missiles, when Iran trained Russian military personnel to use the weapons systems, which officials and transport companies facilitated the delivery of those arms, and when Russia received the first shipments of the missiles earlier this month.
A European Union spokesperson said EU allies had shared "credible" intelligence “on the delivery of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia.”
In 2023, the EU established a dedicated framework for sanctions “in view of Iran's military support for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.”
Physical evidence, including missile fragments, will become available only if or when Russia deploys the Fath-360s in Ukraine.
Tehran similarly denied it had supplied Iranian-made Mohajer-6 and Shahed-series drones to Russia. However, Ukraine has recovered fully and largely intact Iranian-made drones, as well as the remnants of those drones used in attacks, proving otherwise.
Additionally, U.S. intelligence has confirmed the use of Iranian-made drones in Ukraine through photographic analysis and other means.
Iranian officials previously confirmed Tehran’s intention to send other types of ballistic missiles to Russia.
In October 2022, two senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats told Reuters Iran had agreed, at Moscow’s request, to send Iranian-made Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missiles to Russia.
One of the Iranian diplomats attempted to sidestep allegations Iran was fueling Russia’s war effort by claiming it was not “the seller’s issue” where Russia decided to use those weapons.
In February, six sources, including three Iranian government officials, told Reuters Iran had sent roughly 400 missiles, including many powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, to Russia.
Contrary to recent denials, an unnamed Iranian official at that time told Reuters there would be more such shipments.
A U.S. official at that time told Reuters, though, there was no indication the deliveries had taken place.
Moscow and Pyongyang similarly denied that North Korea supplied Russia with long-range ballistic missiles. But U.N. sanctions monitors, Ukrainian officials and others have recovered missile fragments from North Korean Hwasong-11 series missiles throughout Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials noted the North Korean missiles have proven highly unreliable, prompting Russia to seek the higher-precision arms from Iran.