European officials expect Iran to deliver ballistic missiles to Russia "imminently", a move that could prompt a swift response from Ukraine’s allies, Bloomberg reports, citing people with knowledge of the matter, UNN reports.
Details
Iran has provided Russia with hundreds of drones during the two-and-a-half-year war against Ukraine, but "a potential transfer of ballistic missiles would mark a worrying development in the conflict," the sources said.
Sources declined to provide estimates of the type and volume of shipments or a timeline, although one official was quoted as saying that "deliveries could begin within days."
The United States and other NATO allies have repeatedly warned Tehran of the dangers of such a move and are making diplomatic efforts to prevent it. The US National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Iranian Foreign Ministry and its mission to the UN did not respond to inquiries, the newspaper said.
Moscow's ballistic missile arsenal includes Russian and less accurate North Korean missiles.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's allies are struggling to fulfill promises made earlier this year to bolster the war-torn country's air defense systems. Several NATO allies have yet to fulfill commitments reaffirmed at the alliance's summit in Washington in July, Bloomberg reported last month.
"The transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia is likely to be met with additional sanctions against Iran, although their effectiveness will be uncertain given the many measures already in place against Tehran, including the supply of drones to Moscow. Among the preliminary measures being discussed by the allies are new restrictions on Iran Air," the newspaper reports.
The Group of Seven countries are also expected to publicly condemn any transfer and convey their concerns to governments in the Middle East through diplomatic channels, the sources said.
"The Group of Seven has already imposed sanctions on Iran and North Korea for supplying weapons to Russia. The group is seeking to tighten restrictions on firms in China and other countries that supply Russia with parts and technology that Moscow needs to produce weapons, or for components found in them. More recent restrictions have targeted companies and individuals who facilitate such transactions.