US and UK say Russia received missiles from Iran, pile on sanctions

The United States and United Kingdom have formally accused Russia of receiving ballistic missiles from Iran for its war in Ukraine, as fresh sanctions were imposed on ships and companies said to be supplying Moscow with Iranian weapons. 

At a news conference in London ahead of a visit to Kyiv he and Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy will make, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had privately warned Iran that providing ballistic missiles to Russia would be, "a dramatic escalation." 

"Russia has now received shipments with these ballistic missiles, and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine, against Ukraine," Blinken said, citing intelligence that he said has been shared with US allies and partners around the world. 

The US later identified nine Russian-flagged vessels it said were involved in the delivery of weapons from Iran to Russia, designating them as "blocked property" under Washington's sanctions regime, according to the Treasury Department's website.

It also imposed additional measures on previously sanctioned airline Iran Air, as well as companies and individuals involved in the two countries' military cooperation, the department said in a statement. 

Blinken said Iran has trained dozens of Russian military personnel to use its Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile system, which has a maximum range of 75 miles (121 km). 

Russian defense ministry representatives are believed to have signed a contract in December with Iranian officials for the Fath-360 and another Iranian ballistic missile system, Reuters reported last month. 

Iran has previously supplied Shahed drones used by Russia in Ukraine, but has denied that it is supplying Russia with ballistic missiles. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani on Tuesday said on X that Iran views the reports as "ugly propaganda" to conceal Western military support to Israel. 

On Monday Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to confirm the reports but told reporters Russia was cooperating with Iran including on "the most sensitive" areas.

After 2-1/2 years of war, Ukrainian forces now find themselves stretched, fending off a steady Russian advance in Ukraine's east. Last month Kyiv sent troops into Russia on their first large-scale cross-border incursion.

The Iranian missiles can be used on closer targets, allowing Russia to use more of its own arsenal for targets that are further from the front line, Blinken said.

Russia, which previously signed up to United Nations restrictions on Iran, was also sharing technology sought by Tehran, he added. "This is a two-way street, including on nuclear issues as well as some space information," Blinken said.

The Treasury and the State Department imposed sanctions on 10 individuals and nine entities based in Iran and Russia, the Treasury said.

The sanctions freeze any US assets held by those targeted, denying them access, and generally bars Americans from dealing with them.

Included in Tuesday's sanctions were ships that regularly bring cargo across the Caspian Sea between Iran and Russia, including the Port Olya-3, a vessel owned by Russia-based company MG-FLOT that was used to transport close-range ballistic missiles, the Treasury said.

The vessel made a series of voyages between the Russian Caspian port of Olya and Iran's Amirabad port between May and August this year, according to ship tracking data.

The State Department also said Iran Air was further targeted because it was used to procure sensitive Western-origin goods and transport materials for Iran's drone program.

France, Germany and Britain said they were canceling air services agreements with Iran and pledged to impose sanctions on Iran Air and those involved in Iran's ballistic missile program and providing arms to Russia.

Britain announced seven new sanctions designations under its Iran sanctions regime and three under its Russia regime.