The News
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed Tuesday Iran has delivered short-range ballistic missiles to Russia.
The exchange marks a significant escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war and could pose a serious challenge to global stability, Blinken and British foreign secretary, David Lammy, said at a joint press conference in the UK. The missiles are expected to be deployed by Russia against Ukraine “within weeks,” Blinken added. The two men are set to visit Kyiv later this week.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said US intelligence shows Iran has delivered close range ballistic missiles with a range of 75 miles to Russia. Later Tuesday, the US issued sanctions on Iran Air, 10 people and six firms in Russia and Iran implicated in the weapons exchange.
The move comes after the UK and some European countries canceled bilateral air agreements with Iran, cutting off Iran Air from flying into these countries, according to the Financial Times. Five Russian cargo ships linked to transporting military supplies from Iran to Russia have also been sanctioned.