Put off sending missiles to Moscow; US and its G-7 allies alert Iran

On Friday, the United States and its allies issued a warning to Iran, stating that if it proceeds with its growing plot to provide ballistic missiles to Russia for its conflict with Ukraine, major Western economies would impose more sanctions on Tehran.

For months, the Biden administration has expressed concern that, in an effort to restock its depleting arsenal, Moscow may be looking to Iran for close-range ballistic missiles. It is yet unknown whether missiles have been transferred from Iran to Russia by the US. However, remarks made by Iranian officials implying that a deal is close to being reached have unnerved US officials. One measure that the G-7 nations are considering is preventing Iran Air, the nation’s flag airline, from operating flights to Europe, a senior official in the Biden administration said.

Beyond characterizing the possible action as “significant measures,” the official—who insisted on remaining anonymous and was not authorized to comment—refused to provide a sneak peek at further penalties that the US is considering. The G-7 leaders said, “We are prepared to respond swiftly and in a coordinated manner, including with new and significant measures against Iran, should Iran proceed with providing ballistic missiles or related technology to Russia.” Last month, Iran’s UN Mission said that while it is “morally obligated to refrain from weapon transactions during the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” it is not legally prohibited from selling ballistic missiles.