G-7 allies warn Iran against supplying Russia with missiles

Group of Seven nations warned Iran against providing ballistic missiles to Russia for the war in Ukraine, threatening a swift response if it does so.

The allies are releasing a joint statement on Friday that will warn Iran it will face new punishments if it proceeds with missile sales, according to a senior Biden administration official. One option under consideration is an effective ban on Iran Air flights into Europe, the official said, Bloomberg reports.

“Were Iran to proceed with providing ballistic missiles or related technology to Russia, we are prepared to respond swiftly and in a coordinated manner, including with new and significant measures against Iran,” the G-7 statement reads.

The warning comes in response to signals that Iran is seeking deeper military cooperation with Russia, including by supplying surface-to-surface missiles to Moscow. The senior administration official said the US and its allies do not have confirmation the missile transfers have taken place, but said they would proceed with planning in the event they occur.

Fresh US military support for Kyiv remains stalled, putting the nation at a disadvantage as Russia’s campaign stretches into its third year.

President Joe Biden’s administration announced last month it would impose new sanctions on Iran for supporting Russia’s invasion, following a Reuters report the nation was preparing to transfer ballistic missiles to the Russian military. Iran is already heavily sanctioned by the US, so the measures amounted to a largely symbolic rebuke.

The US has said Russia is increasingly looking to Iran and North Korea for weapons, an effort to work around sanctions intended to cripple Moscow’s war machine. North Korea has denied it is sending weapons to Russia.

Iran is already supplying Russia with drones, guided aerial bombs and artillery ammunition for its war against Ukraine, according to the official, who added giving ballistic missiles would mark an escalation by Tehran.