Calls Russia Receiving Ballistic Missiles From Iran, US Foreign Minister Blinken: Possibly To Be Used In Weeks

US Foreign Minister Blinken. (Twitter/@SecBlinken)

JAKARTA - The United States on Tuesday said Russia had received ballistic missiles from Iran for its war in Ukraine, announcing the imposition of new sanctions on ships and companies it said were involved in supplying Iranian weapons to Moscow.

At a press conference in London ahead of a visit to Kyiv that he will conduct with British Foreign Minister David Lemmy, Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said Washington had personally warned Iran, providing ballistic missiles to Russia would be a "Dramatic escalation."

"Russia has now received the delivery of this ballistic missile, and is likely to use it within weeks in Ukraine, against Ukraine," Foreign Minister Blinken said, citing intelligence it said had been shared with US allies and partners around the world.

The US later identified nine Russian-flagged vessels it said were involved in arms shipments from Iran to Russia, appointing them as "blocked products" under Washington's sanctions regime, according to the Treasury website.

The department also imposed additional measures on Iranian Air airlines that were previously subject to sanctions, as well as companies and individuals involved in military cooperation between the two countries, the department said in a statement.

Foreign Minister Blinken also said Iran had trained dozens of Russian military personnel to use the Fath-360 short-range ballistic missile system, which has a maximum range of 75 miles (121 km).

Iranian missiles can be used on closer targets, so Russia can use more of its own weapons for targets further from the front lines, Foreign Minister Blinken said.

Russia, which previously signed UN restrictions on Iran, also shared the technology Tehran requested, he added.

"This is a two-way road, including on nuclear issues as well as some space information," said Foreign Minister Blinken.

Separately, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Miki on Tuesday said in X, Iran views the report as "bad propaganda" to hide Western military support for Israel.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday declined to confirm the report, but told Russian journalists in collaboration with Iran included in the "most sensitive" area.