US confirms Russia received Iranian missiles, set to impose new sanctions on Tehran

The United States on Tuesday formally accused Iran of supplying short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for its war against Ukraine, and vowed to take measures against those involved.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking alongside British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during a visit to London, said sanctions would be announced on Tehran later on Tuesday.

“Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine, against Ukrainians,” Blinken said. “The supply of Iranian missiles enables Russia to deploy more of its arsenal for targets further from the front line.”

Blinken stated, “I think it’s a critical moment for Ukraine,” while cautioning that Moscow is intensifying its assaults on cities and civilians, with a particular focus on targeting energy infrastructure.

His remarks came as he and Lammy prepared for a joint visit to Ukraine on Wednesday stating that they are united on the need to tackle Iran’s influence in the Middle East and Ukraine. This comes as the Kremlin attempts to repel Ukraine’s surprise offensive, which has claimed hundreds of miles of territory in Russia’s Kursk region.

“(We are) completely aligned on the need to tackle Iran’s malign activity in the region and beyond,” Lammy told reporters.

“We’re seeing a disturbing pattern of greater Iranian support for the Kremlin’s illegal group, and we discussed today our shared commitment to holding Tehran to account for their undermining of global stability.”

Blinken stated that Iran’s decision to provide Russia with ballistic missiles poses a threat to European security, and announced additional sanctions on Tehran.

Lammy described Iran’s supply of ballistic missiles to Russia as a “significant escalation.” “This is a troubling action that we’re seeing from Iran. It is definitely a significant escalation and we are coordinating,” he noted.

When asked whether Britain would approve Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow long-range missiles to target locations inside Russia, Lammy declined to comment.

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