According to the sources told Reuters, Iran has reportedly supplied Russia with a significant quantity of potent surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, deepening military cooperation between the two US-sanctioned countries.

According to three Iranian sources, Iran has supplied Russia with approximately 400 missiles, including several from the Fateh-110 family of short-range ballistic weapons, such as the Zolfaghar. Experts suggest that the Zolfaghar, a road-mobile missile, possesses the capability to target distances ranging between 300 and 700 km.

Iran's defense ministry and the Revolutionary Guards, responsible for overseeing Iran's ballistic missile program, refused to provide comments on the matter. Similarly, Russia's defense ministry did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

According to one of the Iranian sources, the shipments commenced in early January following the finalization of a deal during meetings held late last year between Iranian and Russian military and security officials in Tehran and Moscow. A second Iranian official stated that more shipments are expected, emphasizing that Iran has the right to export weapons to any country.

The U.N. Security Council restrictions on Iran's missile exports expired in October, but the US and EU maintain sanctions on Iran's ballistic missile program due to concerns over weapon exports to the Middle East and Russia.

A fourth source confirmed that Russia recently received a significant number of missiles from Iran. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby expressed concerns in early January about Russia acquiring short-range ballistic weapons from Iran, along with missiles obtained from North Korea.

A U.S. official informed Reuters that talks were progressing, but there's no evidence of deliveries yet. Ukraine's top prosecutor reported that North Korean-supplied ballistic missiles to Russia proved unreliable, with only two of 24 hitting targets. However, Moscow and Pyongyang denied North Korea supplying munitions to Russia.

Jeffrey Lewis an expert from the Middlebury Institute stated that the Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar missiles are precise weapons used for targeting important objects. He mentioned that 400 of these missiles could cause a lot of harm in Ukraine.

A Ukrainian military source informed Reuters that there have been no reports of Russian forces using Iranian ballistic missiles in the conflict. The Ukrainian defense ministry did not respond immediately.

Following the report, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Air Force stated on national television that they had no official information regarding Russia obtaining such missiles, highlighting that ballistic missiles would pose a significant threat to Ukraine.

Iran's hardline clerical rulers have been strengthening ties with Russia and China to counter U.S. sanctions and isolation. Defense cooperation between Iran and Russia has notably intensified since Russia's involvement in Ukraine in 2022. This cooperation includes high-level meetings and displays of Iranian military capabilities.

Image source: Times of India