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【Text/Observer.com Lv Yizheng】

According to a Reuters report on August 9, two anonymous European intelligence officials revealed that Iran is expected to deliver hundreds of short-range missiles to Russia soon.Ballistic MissilesDozens of Russian military personnel are currently receiving training in Iran on the use of the Fateh-360 short-range ballistic missiles, which are expected to be used on the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield.

Representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry are believed to have signed a contract with Iranian officials on Dec. 13 for the Fateh-360 missile and another missile system called Ababil manufactured by the Iranian government's Space Industries Organization, according to intelligence officials.

Through multiple intelligence sources, European intelligence officials confirmed that Russian military personnel have arrived in Iran to learn how to operate the Fateh-360, which has a maximum range of 120 kilometers and can carry a 150-kilogram warhead. One of the intelligence sources claimed that the "only possibility" after the training is the actual delivery of the missile to Russia.

Military experts interviewed by Reuters said Russia has its own ballistic missile systems, but the Fateh-360 would allow Russia to use weapons from its own arsenal to strike targets behind the front lines while using Iranian missiles to strike closer targets.

A spokesman for the National Security Council said the United States and itsNATOAllies and G7 partners "are prepared to respond swiftly and severely" if Iran proceeds with such weapons transfers.

The spokesman said this represented a significant escalation in Iran's support for Russia, which the White House had repeatedly warned was deepening its security partnership since Russia's attack on Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations said in a statement that Iran has established a long-term strategic partnership with Russia in many fields, including the military field. However, the Iranian representative claimed that Iran will not transfer any weapons, including missiles, until the Russian-Ukrainian conflict ends.

The White House refused to confirm that Iran was training Russian military personnel and preparing to ship weapons to Russia. Two European intelligence sources also did not provide any specific timetable for the expected delivery of the Fateh-360 missiles, nor any information on the status of the Ababil missile contract.

A source from another European intelligence agency said he had also received relevant information and said such training was a standard practice for Iran to sell weapons to Russia.

An anonymous senior Iranian official said that Iran sold missiles and drones to Russia, but not the Fateh-360 missile. The official also added that there are no legal obstacles for Iran to sell such weapons to Russia.

"Iran and Russia buy parts and military equipment from each other, but how they use it is entirely up to them," the official said, adding that Iranian and Russian officials frequently travel between the two countries as part of military cooperation, but Iran has not exported weapons to Russia for use in the conflict with Ukraine.

Reuters said that so far Iran's military support for Russia is limited to the "Witness-136" attack drone, which can carry explosives but has a speed far lower than ballistic missiles.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported in July 2023 that the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ground Forces successfully tested the training system of the new "Fateh-360" missile.

Justin Bronk, a senior fellow at the Royal United Forces Institute, a British think tank, said: "Iran's delivery of a large number of short-range ballistic missiles to Russia will put further pressure on Ukraine's already overstretched existing missile defense system." He said, "They can only be intercepted by Ukraine's most advanced interceptor systems, such as the US-made Patriot system or the European-made SAMP/T system."

In March, G7 leaders expressed concern over reports that Iran was considering transferring ballistic missiles to Russia, and issued a statement warning that they would respond to Iran with significant measures in a coordinated manner, Reuters reported.

A spokesman for Britain's National Security Council expressed deep concern about reports that Russian military personnel were receiving training in Iran, saying such actions ran counter to statements by Iran's new President Pezhashyan that he wanted to ease relations between Iran and the West, and warned that "Iran must not carry out missile transfers."

UN Security Council restrictions on Iran's export of some missiles, drones and other technology expire in October 2023, but the United States and the European Union still have sanctions on Iran's ballistic missile program, citing concerns about its exports of weapons to the Middle East and Russia.

In February this year, Reuters reported on Iran's military cooperation with Russia. At that time, sources said that about 400 longer-range missiles "Conqueror-110" were delivered to Russia, but according to current sources, this missile has not yet been delivered.

In addition, to date, the Ukrainian government has not publicly reported the discovery of any Iranian missile wreckage or debris on the battlefield.

This article is an exclusive article of Observer.com and may not be reproduced without authorization.