The announcement of a new package of Western sanctions against Moscow and Tehran coincided with the announcement for concluding a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, which is expected to be signed during the BRICS summit to be held soon in the Russian city of Kazan.
Immediately after the announcement of the new sanctions package, the Russian and Iranian reactions came almost simultaneously, and the Kremlin confirmed that “the information about the supply of missiles to Russia from Iran has no basis,” according to the comment of the Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov. He added that "the Russian Armed Forces have a full arsenal of all the necessary means to continue the special military operation in Ukraine."
In turn, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that Tehran did not supply Russia with ballistic missiles, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described Western sanctions as part of the problem and not part of the solution to the problem. He said that "the United States and Europe are relying on unreliable information about the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia.
The United States recently announced that it had imposed new sanctions on a number of Iranian citizens and organizations. The sanctions list includes 9 Iranian citizens and 5 Iranian legal entities, whom Washington accuses of providing military support to Russia and allegedly supplying it with ballistic missiles. According to the US administration, this package of sanctions was imposed in particular in response to Tehran’s supply of a new batch of drones and ballistic missile systems to Moscow. American officials said that dozens of Russian soldiers were trained in Iran to use the Fateh 360 ballistic missile system, which has a range of 120 kilometers.
The Pentagon confirmed that Iran has transferred a certain number of short-range ballistic missiles to Russia. US Department of Defense spokesman said that "the United States has confirmed reports that Iran has transferred Fateh-360 short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, which could be used within weeks against Ukraine, killing more Ukrainian civilians."
According to the analytical portal "Defense Express", the "Fateh 360" missile is 5 meters long, has a total launch weight of 787 kilograms, a warhead weighing about 150 kilograms, and a range of up to 120 kilometers.
In a recent statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said: "The action taken by the three European countries is a continuation of the West's hostile policy and economic terrorism against the Iranian people."
In Moscow, experts expected that the new sanctions package would push Moscow and Tehran closer together and enhance cooperation in various fields, including the military. Lately, Secretary of the National Security Council Sergei Shoigu announced that Moscow and Tehran are preparing to sign a “strategic partnership” agreement soon, at the highest levels.
According to him, Iran's accession to BRICS has created additional opportunities "to improve the quality of interaction between its members in order to form a unified and indivisible strategic security architecture and a just, polycentric world order".
Moscow and Tehran had previously announced that the final touches had been put on a “comprehensive strategic partnership” agreement between the two countries. Russian and Iranian officials described the new agreement as laying the foundation for “broad-ranging and multifaceted strategic cooperation for decades to come.” According to Russian data, preparations are currently underway to sign the new agreement during the participation of the two countries’ presidents in the BRICS summit scheduled in the Russian city of Kazan next month.