Russia to receive additional weapons from Iran, report says
Iran is preparing to send Russia a slew of additional weapons, Reuters reported Tuesday, as the Iranian government continues to prove a thorn in the side of Ukraine and its Western allies.
Two Iranian officials and a pair of Iranian diplomats told Reuters that the two countries made the deal on Oct. 6. A separate official from an unnamed Western country reportedly confirmed the agreement.
Iran agreed to send Russia surface-to-surface missiles as well as additional drones, as Russian forces continue to use the latter against Ukrainian targets in "kamikaze" attacks.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The deal reportedly involved numerous high-ranking officials within the Iranian government, including First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, who visited Moscow to work out deliveries of the weapons.
"The Russians had asked for more drones and those Iranian ballistic missiles with improved accuracy, particularly the Fateh and Zolfaghar missiles family," one of the Iranian diplomats told Reuters. While Western officials will likely be angered by the deal, the diplomat denied that Iran had broken a United Nations Security Council resolution.
"Where they are being used is not the seller's issue," the diplomat said. "We do not take sides in the Ukraine crisis like the West. We want an end to the crisis through diplomatic means."
Both Russia and Iran have denied that Iranian weaponry was used in recent drone attacks. However, American officials disagreed with this assessment, with the State Department telling Reuters that Iranian drones were used in an attack Monday in Kyiv.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
Decrepit train stations across the US are being revitalized
Under the Radar These buildings function as hotels, restaurants and even museums
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: January 30, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: January 30, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Cuba's mercenaries fighting against Ukraine
The Explainer Young men lured by high salaries and Russian citizenship to enlist for a year are now trapped on front lines of war indefinitely
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine-Russia: are both sides readying for nuclear war?
Today's Big Question Putin changes doctrine to lower threshold for atomic weapons after Ukraine strikes with Western missiles
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Russia and Iran 'up the ante' after meeting in Turkmenistan
The Explainer Two nations talk up their closer ties but some in Tehran believe Putin 'still owes' them
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Israel's wars: is an end in sight – or is this just the beginning?
Today's Big Question Lack of wider strategic vision points to 'sustained low-intensity war' on multiple fronts
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
What would happen if Russia declared war on Nato?
In depth Response to an attack on UK or other Western allies would be 'overwhelming'
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Last updated
-
Iran and Israel: is all-out war inevitable?
Talking Points Tehran has vowed revenge for assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, but Gaza ceasefire could offer way out
By The Week UK Published
-
Are Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets too little too late?
Today's Big Question US-made aircraft are 'significant improvement' on Soviet-era weaponry but long delay and lack of trained pilots could undo advantage against Russia
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Hamas and Hezbollah strikes: what does it mean for Israel?
Today's Big Question Iran vows revenge for death of Hamas political leader in Tehran, hours after Israeli strike kills top Hezbollah member in Beirut
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published