The United States and its allies warned Iran on Friday that major Western economies would impose new sanctions on Tehran if it moves forward with a plan to provide ballistic missiles for Russia’s war with Ukraine.
The Biden administration has warned for months that Russia is pursuing Iran’s short-range ballistic missiles as Moscow works to replenish its dwindling supplies.
The United States has not confirmed that the missiles were transferred from Iran to Russia. But comments from Iranian officials suggesting a deal was imminent alarmed U.S. officials.
iran water
A senior Biden administration official said one action being considered by the Group of Seven nations would be to ban Iran Air, the country’s national carrier, from flying to Europe. The official, who was not authorized to comment and insisted on anonymity, declined to say what other sanctions the United States was considering, other than to describe potential actions as “significant measures.”
“If Iran continues to provide ballistic missiles or related technology to Russia, we are prepared to respond quickly and in a coordinated manner, including by taking significant new measures against Iran,” the G7 leaders said in a statement.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations said last month that there were no legal restrictions preventing it from selling ballistic missiles, but that it was “morally obligated to refrain from arms deals during the Russia-Ukraine conflict to prevent exacerbating the war.”
The United States and Europe have imposed broad sanctions on Iran, targeting individuals and restricting the country’s access to trade, financial services, energy, technology and other sectors. The sanctions against Iran are arguably the broadest and most comprehensive sanctions the United States has imposed on any country, targeting thousands of individuals and entities.
The Democratic administration said in January that U.S. intelligence officials had determined that the Russian-Iranian deal was not yet complete, but they were concerned that negotiations for Russia to acquire missiles from Iran were moving forward.
In September, Iran hosted Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and displayed an array of ballistic missile systems, according to the White House — a moment that raised U.S. concerns about whether a deal could be reached.
The United States and other countries have taken steps to prevent Iran from supplying, selling or transferring ballistic missile-related items, including issuing guidance to private companies on Iran’s missile procurement practices to ensure they do not inadvertently support Iran’s development efforts.
‘A very clear message’
“We have sent a very clear message to Iran not to do this. This is a topic of widespread discussion among many countries,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a news conference in Vienna on Friday.
The Biden administration has repeatedly sought to demonstrate that the Kremlin has become reliant on Iran and North Korea to provide weapons needed for the war in Ukraine, disclosing intelligence findings it purportedly showed.
Russia has acquired North Korean ballistic missiles and is using them to attack Ukraine. However, Ukrainian officials say North Korean missiles deployed by Russian forces often miss their targets.
According to the White House, Russia has received hundreds of unidirectional attack drones and drone production-related equipment from Iran. The Biden administration has also accused Tehran of providing Russia with materials to build a drone manufacturing plant east of Moscow.
Iran initially denied supplying drones to Russia. Tehran later admitted that it had provided only a small portion before Moscow invaded Ukraine.
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