The Iranian regime sent 400 ballistic missiles to Russia

The Iranian regime has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles.six sources told the news agency Reutersto deepen Military cooperation between the two countries Approved by the United States.

Supply around Iran 400 missiles Many families are involved Fateh-110 Short-range ballistic weapons, viz Zolfagherthree Iranian sources said. According to experts, This mobile missile is capable of hitting targets at a distance of 300 to 700 km..

Iran’s Defense Ministry and the Revolutionary Guard – the elite force that oversees Iran’s ballistic missile program – declined to comment. Russia’s Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Shipment started In early January After the agreement was reached late last year in meetings between Iranian and Russian military and security officials held in Tehran and Moscow, an Iranian source said.

An Iranian military official – who, like other sources, asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the information – said: There were at least four shipments of missiles and more in the coming weeks. He declined to give further details.

Another senior Iranian official said some of the missiles were sent to Russia. By boat in the Caspian SeaWhile others were transported by air.

“There will be more shipments“said another Iranian official. “There is no reason to hide it. “We are allowed to export arms to any country we want.”

UN Security Council sanctions on Iranian exports of some missiles, drones and other technology expired in October. however, The United States and the European Union maintained sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile program Amid concerns about arms exports to its proxies in the Middle East and Russia.

A fourth source familiar with the matter confirmed this Russia recently received a large number of missiles from IranWithout giving further details.

White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirbysaid in early January that the United States was concerned because Russia was close to acquiring short-range ballistic weapons from Iran in addition to the missiles already coming from North Korea.

A US official said Reuters K Washington received evidence that negotiations were actively proceedingBut there is still no indication that the delivery was made.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the missile delivery.

Ukraine’s top prosecutor said Friday Ballistic missiles supplied to Russia by North Korea proved unreliable On the battlefield, and Only two of the 24 achieved their goals

. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied that North Korea supplied Russia with weapons used in Ukraine.

On the contrary, Jeffrey LewisAn expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey said Fateh-110 missile family and Zolfagher were precision weapons.

“It is used to target high-value items that require specific damage” Lewis said, adding that 400 rounds can cause significant damage. However, he noted that the Russian bombing was already “very brutal”.

(With information from Reuters)