Russia is providing military and technical support to Iran in exchange for Tehran providing weapons for the war in Ukraine, senior Biden administration officials say.
As part of the enhanced partnership, Russia may be providing Iran with advanced military equipment and components, including helicopters and air defense systems. In the spring, Iranian pilots trained in Russia to fly the Sukhoi Su-35, a Russian fighter jet, which the officials say indicates that Iran may begin receiving the aircraft within the next year. The White House had previously said it believed Iran was supplying drones to Russia for use in Ukraine, but the relationship between the two countries is transforming into a full-fledged defense partnership with weapons and military expertise flowing in both directions, the officials said.
Russia is looking into establishing a joint production line for drones in Russia, along with Iran, according to the officials.
One senior administration official said that this partnership poses a threat not only to Ukraine but to Iran's neighbors in the region. We shared this information with partners in the Middle East and around the world. Three Russia-based entities that have been involved in the transfer of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs for use in Ukraine are expected to be designated by the Biden administration on Friday, according to officials. Those entities include the Russian Aerospace Forces, which receives the UAVs, and Russia's 924th State Center for Unmanned Aviation. The 924th staff traveled to Iran to get training on how to operate the Iranian weapons.
The U.S. is looking at possible ways to bring together a group of like-minded countries to discuss Iran-Russia military cooperation, and is working with other nations to ensure that Russia and Iran can't move weapons and money through their countries to support this new partnership.
One official said that costs will be imposed on actors involved in the transfer of Iranian UAVs to Russia for use in Ukraine. We are looking at further steps we can take in terms of export controls to restrict Iran's access to sensitive technologies. Since the invasion of Ukraine, Iran has become Russia's top military supporter, selling hundreds of UAVs to Moscow since August alone. Russia has used these drones to attack Ukraine's energy and critical infrastructure in strikes that have killed civilians.
The US believes Iran is considering the sale of hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia. One official said that Iranians should not take these steps and we urge them to reverse course. We are prepared to do more and we are using the tools at our disposal to expose and disrupt these activities. The Biden administration is expected to announce the next security assistance package for Ukraine later Friday. The package, valued around $275 million, will include more ammunition for the advanced rocket launchers known as HIMARS and Ukrainian artillery.