Ukraine hints at cutting ties with Tehran if reports of Iran missile deliveries to Russia confirmed

Kyiv said on Tuesday it could cut ties with Tehran if Russia used ballistic missiles supplied by Iran to attack Ukraine and denounced any such delivery of the weapons as “unacceptable”.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier that Russia had already received the missiles from Iran, 2-1/2 years since the full-scale invasion. He said he expected Moscow to use the weapons in the coming weeks. Iran denies supplying the arms.

Ukraine, which has already been grappling with an increase in Russian missile and drone attacks, has said there would be devastating consequences for its bilateral ties with Iran if reports of the missile supplies are confirmed.

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“I will not say now exactly what is meant by devastating consequences, so as not to weaken our diplomatic position. But I can say that all options, including the one you mentioned, are on the table,” foreign ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi said, when asked if Kyiv could cut ties with Tehran.

Ukraine’s allies, including the US, have said the delivery amounts to a substantial escalation and that they will impose further sanctions on Iran.

While describing such sanctions as a “positive step”, Ukraine’s top presidential official, Andriy Yermak, said that it would not be enough on its own.

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“We also need authorisation to use Western weapons against military targets on Russian territory, the provision of longer-range missiles, and the enhancement of our air defence systems,” Yermak said on X.

The Kremlin is yet to comment on Blinken’s statements. It said on Monday that it was developing dialogue with Iran in all areas.

Ukraine downgraded its diplomatic ties with Iran in 2022 over Tehran’s decision to supply Russia with unmanned Shahed attack drones, which Moscow troops have since used for regular long-range attacks.

Until now, Iranian military support for Moscow has been most visible in the supply of those drones, which carry a smaller payload and are easier to shoot down because they travel at a fraction of the speed of ballistic missiles.

Reuters reported in August that Russia was expecting a delivery of hundreds of Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile from Iran and that dozens of its troops had received training to fire them.