Newsman: President Joe Biden’s administration alleged Russia of moving to provide advanced military assistance to Iran, including air defense systems, helicopters and fighter jets. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Friday cited U.S. intelligence assessments for the allegations, saying Russia was offering Iran “an unprecedented level of military and technical support that is transforming their relationship into a full-fledged defense partnership.”
John Kirby said Russia and Iran were considering standing up a drone assembly line in Russia for the Ukraine conflict, while Russia was training Iranian pilots on the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter and Iran could receive deliveries of the plane within the year. “These fighter planes will significantly strengthen Iran’s air force relative to its regional neighbors,” Kirby said.
Kirby said. “We are concerned that Russia intends to provide Iran with advanced military components.” and agreed that include Russia’s S 400 air defense system is considered one of the world’s most capable.
The Biden administration announced sanction Friday on three entities within the Russian military that it said were involved in training and in acquiring and using Iranian drones.
“This is a full-scale defense partnership that is harmful to Ukraine, to Iran’s neighbors and, quite frankly, to the international community,” he said. “We’re going to be using the tools at our disposal to expose and disrupt these activities and we’re prepared to do more.”
The relationship between Russia and Iran is becoming a ‘full-scale defense partnership’ that threatens the Middle East and rest of the world, according to the US official.
Iran has committed in recent weeks to substantially increase its supply of UAVs to Moscow for the war in Ukraine, US and allied officials said in interviews with Washington Post.
Washington post reported last month, that the Moscow and Tehran had agreed in secret to begin manufacture of Iranian drones on Russian soil. But with Russia’s stockpile diminishing and the start of production still many months away.
The National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, “Support is following both ways, “as Moscow offer an unprecedented level of military and technical support to Tehran in exchange for Iranian Drones and potentially ballistic missiles for use in Ukraine. Moscow and Iran are to be collaborating on drone development, ballistic missile and technical training.
John Kirby said, Iran is set to receive stepped up military and technical support from Russia in exchange for supplying it with drones. “Russia is seeking to collaborate with Iran on areas like weapons development and training,”
The Biden administration also had asserted previously that “dozen” of Iranian technicians went to Russia occupied Crimea and Russians were sent to Iran for instructions on use drones.
Russia may be providing Iran with equipment such as helicopters and air defenses, Kirby said. Since August, Iran has transferred several hundred drones to Russia, which it is using to target Ukrainian critical infrastructure, he said, adding that Tehran has become Moscow’s top military backer.
The US assesses this co-operation will only increase, with Moscow and Tehran considering setting up a joint production line for lethal drones in Russia. Kirby also cited reports that Iranian pilots have received training in Russia on how to fly Su-35 fighter jets, which he said was a possible precursor to Moscow providing the aircraft next year to Tehran.
The Biden administration also announced its 27th drawdown of weaponry from defense department arsenals to send to Ukraine. The $275 million in lethal aid package includes additional 155 mm artillery shells and ammunitions for HIMARS, the mobility artillery rocket system that have been particularly effective in striking commands and logistics posts behind Russians front lines, as well as ‘unspecified counter air defense ‘ and counter unmanned aerial system equipment. System to counter drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can include jamming devices that interrupt directional and operational radio signals sent to the aircraft, as well as munitions to destroy them I n flight.
The UK foreign secretary James Cleverly on Friday said Iran was now one of Russia’s “top military backers”, as he warned that Britain would continue to expose the “desperate alliance” between the two countries and hold them to account.
“Their sordid deals have seen the Iranian regime send hundreds of drones to Moscow, which have been used to attack Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and kill civilians,” Cleverly said. “In return, Russia is offering military and technical support to the Iranian regime, which will increase the risk it poses to our partners in the Middle East and to international security.”
