TEHRAN: Dozens of Russian soldiers are being trained in Iran to use the Fath-360 short-range missile system, two European intelligence sources told Reuters, adding that they expected to deliver hundreds of satellite-guided weapons to Russia soon for use in the war in Ukraine.
Russian defense ministry representatives are believed to have signed a contract with Iranian officials on Dec. 13 in Tehran to buy the Fath-360 system and another missile system built by Iran's state-run Space Industries Organization (AIO) called Ababil, according to the intelligence official, who asked not to be named to discuss sensitive matters.
Russian officials have visited Iran to learn how to operate the Fath-360 air defense system, which is capable of launching missiles with a maximum range of 120 kilometers (75 miles) and carrying a 150-kilogram (220-pound) nuclear warhead, one of the sources said. A “possible next step” after the training would be the delivery of actual missiles to Russia, one of the sources said.
Moscow has several long-range missiles of its own, but if it gets its hands on the Fath-360 missiles, it could use its arsenal to target more distant targets, while also using Iranian nuclear warheads to target closer range targets, military experts say.
A US National Security Council spokesman said the US and its NATO allies and G7 partners “are prepared to respond swiftly and aggressively if Iran proceeds with such transfers.”
“Such action would represent a significant escalation of Iran’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” the spokesman said. “The White House has repeatedly warned of the strengthened security relationship between Russia and Iran since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”
The Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations in New York said in a statement that the Islamic Republic has established long-term strategic cooperation with Russia in various fields, including military cooperation.
“However, from an ethical perspective, Iran will refrain from transferring any weapons, including missiles, that could be used in the conflict with Ukraine until the conflict is over,” the statement said.
The White House has declined to confirm whether Iran is training Russian military personnel on the Fath-360 or is preparing to send the weapon to Russia for use against Ukraine.
The two intelligence sources did not provide an exact timeframe for the delivery of Fath-360 missiles to Russia, but said it would be “immediately”. They did not provide any intelligence on the status of the contract with Abibal.
A third intelligence source from a separate European agency also said it had received information that Russia had sent troops to Iran to train on the use of Iranian long-range missile systems, but did not provide further details.
Such training is standard practice for weapons supplied by Iran to Russia, said a third source, who asked not to be named because the information is sensitive.
A senior Iranian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Iran had sold missiles and drones to Russia but had not supplied Fath-360 missiles. The source added that there was no law prohibiting Tehran from selling such weapons to Russia.
“Iran and Russia are engaged in joint procurement of military components and equipment, and the use of these equipment is at the discretion of each country,” the official said, adding that Iran has not sold weapons to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine.
The official added that as part of military cooperation, Iranian and Russian officials frequently travel between the two states.
“Unstable action”
Iran's military support for Moscow has so far been limited to the Shahed unmanned attack drone, which carries only a fraction of the explosives it can carry and is easier to shoot down because it flies slower than long-range missiles.
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported in July 2013 that a new Fath 360 training system had been successfully tested by the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ground forces.
“The delivery of large numbers of short-range missiles from Iran to Russia will increase the pressure on Ukraine’s missile defenses, which are already overstretched,” said Justin Bronk, a senior fellow on air power at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a London-based defence think tank.
“As a missile threat, it can only be reliably intercepted by high-end Ukrainian systems,” he said, referring to Ukraine’s most sophisticated air defense systems, such as the US-made Patriot and European SAMP/T systems.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry had no immediate comment.
In March, G7 leaders expressed concern over reports that Iran was considering transferring long-range missiles to Russia, and warned in a statement that they would respond in a coordinated manner with significant action against Iran.
An NSC spokesman responded to a Reuters question by saying that Iran's newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian “claims he wants to align Iran's policy with the world. Such destabilizing actions are contrary to that rhetoric.”
A UK government spokesman has expressed grave concern over reports that Russian military personnel were being trained in Iran. “Iran must not take any action” on the transfer of long-range missiles, he said.
UN Security Council restrictions on Iran's exports of missiles, drones and other technology end in October 2023, but the United States and the European Union maintain sanctions on Iran's long-range missile program amid concerns about arms exports to Middle Eastern proxies and Russia.
Reuters reported in February about expanded military cooperation between Iran and Russia, including Moscow's interest in Iranian surface-to-surface missiles.
The source told the news agency that around 400 Fateh-110 long-range surface-to-surface missiles had been delivered, but a European intelligence source told Reuters that no delivery had taken place to their knowledge.
Ukrainian officials have not publicly reported finding any Iranian missile wreckage or debris during the war.
