US says Iran is Russia's top military backer as Putin seeks more deadly drones
The US has today warned Iran is Russia's top military backer in its bloody invasion of Ukraine, selling them more than 400 advanced attack drones in a deadly partnership.
The White House has said today that Russia is looking to buy additional advanced attack drones from Iran for use in the Kremlin's war in Ukraine after using up most of the 400 drones it had already purchased from Tehran.
Iran has provided Russia with more than 400 of the advanced drones since August. Russia is also offering support to Iran as well, as Iran seeks billions of dollars worth of military equipment from the warmongering nation, the US warned.
Officials have stated publicly that the United States believes Iran was considering selling hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia for months, but Washington did not yet have evidence a deal was reached.
Remain of Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile at an exhibition showing remains of missiles and drones that Russia used to attack Kyiv (Global Images Ukraine via Getty)White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Monday, May 15: "Iran also continues to provide Russia with one-way attack UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). Since August, Iran has provided Russia with more than 400 UAVs primarily of the Shahed variety.
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"Russia has expended most of these UAVs, using them to target Ukrainian critical infrastructure inside Ukraine. By providing Russia with these UAVs, Iran has been directly enabling Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine."
The Shahed drones Russia has already bought are packed with explosives and programmed to loiter overhead until they nosedive into a target. They're an evolution and unmanned version of World War II kamikaze pilots who would fly their explosive-laden planes into US warships in the pacific.
Kirby said Russia is now looking to acquire even more of the advanced drones "capable of more lethality".
The Biden administration last year publicised satellite images and intelligence findings that it said indicated Iran sold hundreds of attack drones to Russia.
Broken windows and a damaged facade of a residential building in Kyiv seen as a result of a Russian military attack by Iranian-made Shaheds drones. (Aleksandr Gusev/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock)The latest revelation is part of a constant drip of intelligence findings from the administration to detail what US officials say is a deepening defence partnership between Russia and Iran. It's part of a broader administration effort to declassify and publicise intelligence findings of Moscow's prosecution of its nearly 15-month-old war in Ukraine in hopes of further driving global isolation of Russia.
The Biden administration says the Kremlin's reliance on Iran and North Korea - who have been widely isolated on the global stage for their nuclear programmes and human rights records - shows desperation on Russia's part.
It comes in the face of Ukrainian resistance and the success of the global coalition working to disrupt Russian military supply chains and deny replacement weapons for those lost on the battlefield.
Firefighters work after a drone attack on a school training centre in Kherson, Ukraine (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)US officials have also said Iran provided Russia with artillery and tank rounds for the invasion of Ukraine. Iran has said it provided drones to Russia prior to the start of the war, but not since.
The White House also says Russia has turned to North Korea for artillery. North Korea has denied it provided Russia with artillery.
The White House has for months spoken about troubling signs that the military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran could work both ways. Iran is looking to purchase additional military equipment from Russia, including attack helicopters, radars and YAK-130 combat trainer aircraft, according to the White House. Last month, Iran announced it had finalised a deal to buy Su-35 fighter jets from Russia.
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The White House has also said previously that Russia and Iran were considering starting a drone assembly line in Russia specifically for the Ukraine conflict.
"In total, Iran is seeking billions of dollars' worth of military equipment from Russia," Kirby said.
View of an apartment damaged from the middle in a residential building in Kyiv as a result of a Russian military attack by Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones. (Aleksandr Gusev/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock)These latest allegations come as Biden heads to Hiroshima, Japan, later this week for the Group of Seven summit where the US president is expected to call on fellow leaders of some of the world's biggest economies to further tighten export controls and sanctions on Moscow.
Speaking to reporters, Kirby said: "This is a full scale defence partnership that is harmful to Ukraine, to the region in the Middle East and to the international community."
He added Iran has been "Russia's top military backer" since the start of the Ukraine invasion.
Kirby went on to say: "We are using the tools at our disposal to expose and disrupt these activities and we are prepared to do more."
Kirby said the Biden administration will announce "additional designations against those involved in the increased military trade between Russia and Iran" in the coming days.
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