NATO’s secretary general on Thursday condemned any coordination between Iran and Russia on weapons for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. “We also see Iran offering drones and considering deliveries of ballistic missiles to Russia,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference. “This is unacceptable. No country should provide support to Moscow in this illegal war,” he said. Iran is preparing to send about 1,000 additional weapons, including short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missiles and more attack drones, to Russia, officials from a Western country that closely monitors Iran’s weapons program told CNN on Tuesday. The mission is being closely watched because it would be the first time Iran has sent advanced precision-guided missiles to Russia, which could give the Kremlin a significant boost on the battlefield. Iran’s latest arms shipment to Russia included about 450 drones, officials said, which the Russians have already used to deadly effect in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said last week they had shot down more than 300 Iranian drones. What Tehran says: Iran’s government has repeatedly denied sending weapons to Russia. Last month, the Iranian government quoted Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian as saying that Tehran “does not have and will not provide” any weapons to be used in the Ukraine war. More context: Drones have played a major role in the conflict since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February. Their use has increased since the summer, when the US and Kyiv say Moscow first acquired drones from Iran. In recent weeks, these Iranian drones have been used to target critical energy infrastructure in Ukraine.
