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Analysis

Three takeaways from Iran’s ballistic missile transfer to Russia

Iran’s provision of close-range ballistic missiles to Moscow could fuel a potential arms race in Europe, but experts say the United States and European Union appear to have little leverage to stop it.

A man walks past a banner depicting missiles launching from a representation of the map of Iran colored with the Iranian flag in central Tehran on April 15, 2024.
A man walks past a banner depicting missiles launching from a representation of the map of Iran colored with the Iranian flag in central Tehran on April 15, 2024. — ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

This is an excerpt from Security Briefing, Al-Monitor's weekly newsletter covering defense and conflict developments in the Middle East. To get Security Briefing in your inbox, sign up here.

WASHINGTON — The United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France imposed new sanctions on Iran on Tuesday after the Biden administration accused Tehran of having provided close-range ballistic missiles to Russia.

The alleged move — which Iranian officials have publicly denied — bucked months of warnings from the United States and its allies as they’ve struggled to choke off Moscow’s ability to wage war to conquer eastern Ukraine.

“We’ve warned Tehran publicly, we’ve warned Tehran privately that taking this step would constitute a dramatic escalation,” Washington’s top diplomat, Antony Blinken, said during a press conference alongside his British counterpart, David Lammy, on Tuesday.

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