US, UK sanction Iran for supplying missiles to Russia
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The news: The US and Britain accused Iran of supplying short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy announcing new sanctions against Moscow and Tehran.
The numbers: Blinken said Russia has received Fath-360 missiles capable of reaching up to 120 kilometres, and Russian troops have been trained in Iran to use them.
The context: Blinken said the missiles are expected to be used in Ukraine in the coming weeks, as Moscow tries to counter Ukraine's territorial gains in Russia’s Kursk region.
Britain, France and Germany also announced new sanctions targeting Iran’s air transport, cancelling bilateral air service agreements with the Islamic Republic that will restrict Iran Air’s access.
The sanctions by the US and Britain targeted those involved in sending Iranian drones and missiles to Russia, including two senior officers in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a senior defence ministry official.
Several businesses and four Russian cargo ships alleged to have transported supplies from Iran to Russia and three Russian military units involved with aviation were also targeted.
Blinken and Lammy are set to visit Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian officials, including President Zelenskyy, to discuss further defensive support for Ukraine.
What they said: “Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine, against Ukrainians," Blinken said.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said the accusations were "ugly propaganda."
The source: The Associated Press
