U.S. Warns Of Harsh Response If Iran Transfers Missiles To Russia

The United States on Monday warned Iran of swift and severe consequences for arming Russia, saying it has seen accounts Tehran would provide Moscow with hundreds of ballistic missiles, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

“We are prepared to deliver a swift and severe response if Iran were to move forward with the transfer of ballistic missiles, which would, in our view, represent a dramatic escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told a daily briefing.

Iranian officials in the past have denied allegations that they are supplying weapons of any kind to Russia. Washington however, reminds that Russia has used Iranian UAVs in relentless attacks against the civilian population in Ukraine, against civilian infrastructure. "This duplicity is only the latest reminder to the international community that the Iranian regime lacks any credibility," Patel said.

He went on to add, "During his campaign, Iranian President Pezeshkian claimed he wanted to moderate Iran’s policies and engage with the world.  And we have said we have no expectation his election will lead to a fundamental change in Iran’s direction – and this pending transfer of missiles, if the reports are accurate, is further evidence or a continuation of Iran’s destabilizing behavior."

"We will continue to judge Iran’s leadership by their actions, not their words," the spokesman emphasized.

Patel's comments came as U.S. defense intelligence leaders recently informed the Congress that Iran was supplying Russia with ballistic missiles, which would significantly escalate Putin's war against Ukraine.

This development has sparked a range of reactions, including concerns over the implications for regional and global security.

"I’m certainly not going to get into them from up here... To widen the aperture, what we’re talking about when I raise things like this is the continued, deepening security partnership between Iran and Russia, which continues to be incredibly concerning. It is not just a threat to European security... but it also shows that Iran’s destabilizing influence has reached beyond the Middle East region, and that would be – should be of concern to the entire world," Patel told TURAN's Washington correspondent.