Russia is hesitant to buy ballistic missiles from Iran for fear that Ukraine’s allies will in turn supply Kiev with long-range missiles. The Financial Times writes, reporting the assessments of some Western officials. Iran sent hundreds of armed drones to Vladimir Putin’s army, which were used to attack civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Western capitals believe Tehran is open to greater military cooperation with Moscow. But despite the need to increase its supplies, the Kremlin has avoided buying long-range ballistic missiles from Iran, which are also capable of carrying more powerful explosive payloads.
A significant factor, according to assessments in NATO countries, was the US threat to supply Kiev with the Atcms missile system, whose range of 300 kilometers could reach deep into Russian-controlled territory. Washington has rejected Kiev’s requests to deploy Atacms: the system has nearly four times the range of the US-supplied Himars missile systems that Ukraine has used to devastating effect against Russian forces. Tehran and Moscow have been exploring the possibility of swapping modern Russian weapons for ballistic missiles, but talks have stalled, Western officials and analysts say, in part because of the potential fallout from such a deal for both sides. Escalation of war must be avoided by all means.
Source: IL Tempo
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
