Reuters
WASHINGTON/LONDON May 9 (Reuters) – (This May 9 story has been corrected to clarify that Iran’s statement came from its permanent mission to the United Nations, not the United States, in paragraph 8)
Iran is preparing to deliver in the near future launchers for short-range ballistic missiles that the U.S. said Tehran sent to Russia last year for use against Ukraine, according to two Western security officials and a regional official.
Iran denied it had such plans and dismissed the idea as “utterly absurd”.
The delivery of the Fath-360 launchers – if it occurs – would help support Russia’s grinding assault on its neighbor and reaffirm the deepening security ties between Moscow and Tehran.
With a 75-mile (120-km) range, the Fath-360 would give Moscow’s forces a new weapon to fire at Ukrainian frontline troops, nearby military targets, and population centers close to the border with Russia, analysts said.
The U.S. last September said that Iran delivered the missiles to Russia on nine Russian-flagged ships – which it sanctioned – and three sources told Reuters at that time that the launchers were not included.
The Western security officials and the regional official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the delivery of the Fath-360 launchers was imminent.
