Iran is preparing to deliver to Russia launchers for low -range ballistic missiles
Iran is preparing to deliver in the near future low -range ballistic missile launchers, which the United States claims that Tehran sent Russia last year for use against Ukraine. This is claimed by two Western official security officers and a regional representative.
Iran denied having similar plans and rejected the idea as « absolutely absurd ».
- Delivery of FATH -360 launchers – if it came – it would help to support Russia’s fierce attacks against its neighbor and confirm the deepening security between Moscow and Tehran.
- With a range of 120 km, the FATH-360 would give Moscow forces a new weapon for shooting Ukrainian troops on the front line, close military goals and settlements near the border with Russia, analysts said.
- Last September, the United States said Iran had delivered Russia’s rockets to nine ships under a Russian flag – which were sanctioned – and three sources told Reuters at the time that the launchers were not included.
Western security officers and the regional representative, who have requested anonymity, said the delivery of the FATH-360 launchers was upcoming. They refused to provide additional details of the transfer, including why they believe that the launchers were not delivered with the missiles.
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Iran’s permanent mission to the UN rejected what he called « groundless accusations » against Tehran.
« While the conflict between the parties continues, Iran will refrain from providing any form of military assistance to any of the parties, » an e -mail said. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to the requests for comment. The US National Security Council referred inquiries to the State Department, which did not respond immediately. The CIA declined to comment.
Russia and Iran have previously denied that Tehran supplied rockets or other weapons to help the full -scale invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow began in February 2022. American, Ukrainian and European representatives claim that Iran has provided Russia with thousands of drones and artillery shells.
In an obvious hint of the FATH-360 missiles, General Christopher Cavalie of the US Army, commander of the US Central Command, told US lawmakers last month that Iran had donated more than 400 low-range ballistic missiles to Russia.
There is no public messages that Iran has transferred other types of small-range ballistic missiles to Moscow or Russian forces to use FATH-360.
The deployment of rockets from Russia can complicate the efforts of US President Donald Trump to arrange for termination of fire and peace talks between Ukraine and Russia and to conclude a separate transaction with Iran to limit his nuclear program. The regional representative said that indirect nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran, mediated by Oman, are among the « several reasons » for the delayed delivery of starters.
| Jack Watling, a senior research associate at the British Royal United Services Institute, said the Iranian authorities would look at the issue of sending weapons to Russia separately from nuclear negotiations. « The fact that the Iranians are negotiating on nuclear issues with the United States will not be considered as related to what they could do in collaboration with the Russians, » he said. |
Analysts said there may have been another complication: Iran had to modify commercial trucks manufactured in Europe to install the launchers for its own arsenal FATH-360, and may have had to do the same for Russia, given the huge losses of vehicles in Ukraine.
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With launches, Russia will be able to increase the pressure on Ukraine, experts said.
| « It will be much easier (for the Russian powers) to strike much faster … for valuable goals, » said Fabian Hinz, a research associate at the International Institute for Strategic Research. « They (FATH-360) don’t need much preparation for launching. Their flight time is incredibly short. » |
- The deployment of the FATH-360 could allow Russia to retain its more modern rockets, such as Iskander, for more critical infrastructure strikes, including the power transmission network, loading Ukraine’s valuable missile defense, analysts say.
- The FATH-360 « has been designed to be managed and operated by people with relative little training, » said Ralph Savelsberg, Assistant Professor in the Dutch Defense Academy.
« Why would they (Russia) buy worse Iranian missiles? The only reason I can think of is that they cannot produce a sufficient number of their own missiles, » he said. « They are not super accurate and do not carry a very heavy load. But it just adds more headaches to Ukraine. »
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