Iran to the last denies its military cooperation with Russia and declares that it stands for peace. So far, Ukrainian intelligence does not confirm that Iran is transferring ballistic missiles, but such options are on the table.
Mikhail Yakubovich, an orientalist from Germany, told Channel 24 about this. He believes that Iran is trying to negotiate certain advantages for itself by blackmailing the world of supplying heavy weapons to Russia.
Yakubovich noted that at first there was information that the collection of Iranian drones was taking place in Syria or in Central Asian countries, however, judging by the technical features, they could also be assembled in Russia based on an Iranian copy.
It also became known from radio intercepts that the Shahed operators were from Iran. There was information that Iranian instructors were on the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea and were conducting exercises on the use of drones.
However, information about investigations into such precedents was not reported to the press. These materials are only in intelligence, the expert emphasized.
Iran is trying to blackmail
Yakubovich said that sanctions were imposed on Iran on the export of conventional weapons under the nuclear agreement in 2015. They will be valid until October 2023. Therefore, if Iran starts exporting missiles and other weapons to Russia, it will violate the obligation.
Moreover, the real range of the Shahed is greater than the declared one, so Iran resists to the last that it is not he who is transferring the drones to Russia.
Now Iran is bargaining with Russia, it is trying to bargain as much as possible, and then, obviously, it is waiting for some kind of peace or victory for one of the parties, hoping that then it will get away with everything, the speaker added.
He believes that Iran, perhaps, is now considering the supply of heavy weapons to Russia and manipulating, giving signals for the West to lift part of the sanctions from the country.
Yakubovich on Iran's foreign policy: watch video
Cooperation between Russia and Iran: what is known
- In December 2022, senior Biden administration officials said Moscow was providing “unprecedented” military and technical support to Tehran in exchange for weapons.
- In early February, information appeared in the media that Iran was modifying its drones, which they were transferring to Russia, so that the warhead could cause maximum damage to infrastructure facilities in Ukraine.
- Data intercepted by Ukrainian intelligence indicates that the Iranian side is helping Russia not only with weapons, but also, obviously, providing operators for kamikaze drones.
