Iran sends Russia hundreds of ballistic missiles

Iran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, six sources tell Reuters, deepening the military cooperation between the two US-sanctioned countries, reports reuters.

Iran’s provision of around 400 missiles includes many from the Fateh-110 family of short-range ballistic weapons, such as the Zolfaghar, three Iranian sources say. This road-mobile missile is capable of striking targets at a distance of between 300 and 700 kilometers (186 and 435 miles), experts say.

Iran’s defense ministry and the Revolutionary Guards – an elite force that oversees Iran’s ballistic missile program – decline to comment. Russia’s defense ministry does not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The shipments began in early January after a deal was finalized in meetings late last year between Iranian and Russian military and security officials that took place in Tehran and Moscow, one of the Iranian sources say.

An Iranian military official says there have been at least four shipments of missiles and there would be more in the coming weeks. He declines to provide further details.

Another senior Iranian official says some of the missiles were sent to Russia by ship via the Caspian Sea, while others were transported by plane.

“There will be more shipments,” the second Iranian official says. “There is no reason to hide it. We are allowed to export weapons to any country that we wish to.”

A fourth source, familiar with the matter, confirms that Russia had received a large number of missiles from Iran recently, without providing further details.

A US official tells Reuters that Washington had seen evidence of talks actively advancing but no indication yet of deliveries having taken place._Agencies.