IRAN CONSIDERING SALE OF HUNDREDS OF BALLISTIC MISSILES TO RUSSIA -WH

Fri 09 December 2022:

The United States believes Iran is looking at selling hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said on Friday.

“We even believe that Iran is considering the sale of hundreds of ballistic missiles from Iran to Russia,” Kirby told a briefing.

“We expect Iranian support for the Russian military to only grow in coming months,” Kirby told a briefing.

“This is a full-scale defence partnership that is harmful to Ukraine, to Iran’s neighbours and, quite frankly, to the international community,” he said. “We’re going to be using the tools at our disposal to expose and disrupt these activities and we’re prepared to do more.”

Russia may be providing Iran with equipment such as helicopters and air defences, he said.

Since August, Iran has transferred several hundred drones to Russia, which it is using to target Ukrainian critical infrastructure, Kirby said, adding that Tehran has become Moscow’s top military backer.

UK foreign secretary James Cleverly on Friday said Iran was now one of Russia’s “top military backers”, as he warned that Britain would continue to expose the “desperate alliance” between the two countries and hold them to account.

The foreign, commonwealth and development office also said it agreed with the US assessment that Iranian support for the Russian military will increase in the coming months.

“Their sordid deals have seen the Iranian regime send hundreds of drones to Moscow, which have been used to attack Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and kill civilians,” Cleverly said. “In return, Russia is offering military and technical support to the Iranian regime, which will increase the risk it poses to our partners in the Middle East and to international security.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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