Iran’s FM denies ballistic missile transfers to Russia

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has denied that Tehran supplied ballistic missiles to Russia, pushing back against accusations as the European Union prepares to impose sanctions.

During a meeting with the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Iran's Foreign Minister confirmed the delivery of short-range rockets to Russia, but said Iran has not provided ballistic missiles to Russia.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, Araghchi wrote, “We have not provided ballistic missiles to Russia, and if Europe needs an excuse to cave in to Israel’s blackmail, it should find another story.”

It is not the first time that Iran has deflected attention by blaming Iran's archenemy Israel, which was targeted with a barrage of 181 ballistic missiles earlier this month.

Araghchi added, “Iran-Russia military cooperation is not new and dates back to before the Ukraine crisis. Some European countries have provided the Israeli regime with advanced weapons while participating in military operations against Iran.”

The remarks came in response to an earlier report from The Wall Street Journal, in which EU reporter Laurence Norman said that Araghchi had acknowledged, during a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in New York, that Iran sent short-range missiles with a range of 250 kilometers to Russia.

Norman wrote, “Senior EU official says Araghchi acknowledged in NY that Iran had sent missiles to Russia of less than 250km range. He claimed they were not 'ballistic' missiles.”

Despite Araghchi’s denial, the European Union is pressing ahead with sanctions targeting Iranian individuals and entities connected to the missile transfers. Citing a senior EU official, Reuters reported that the sanctions are likely to be introduced as early as Monday. The sanctions are part of the EU’s first wave of punitive measures linked to Iran’s alleged missile transfers and could also impact sectors beyond military ties.

Iran has been widely criticized for its deepening military support for Russia in Ukraine, particularly its provision of drones used to target civilian infrastructure. It has also led to global sanctions on Iran.

The two nations appear to be drawing closer politically and militarily. Reflecting the ideological alignment, on Friday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Turkmenistan, where Putin remarked that the countries’ “assessments of events taking place in the world are often very close.”

Last month, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell issued a warning to Tehran, stating that the bloc would “respond swiftly and in coordination with international partners” if Iran continued supplying weapons to Russia.