Iran pledges reaction to Western sanctions over Russian missile supply

Tehran denies weapons transfers and calls new sanctions ‘economic terrorism’.

Iran has condemned allegations by Western countries that it has supplied short-range missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine and pledged to respond to new sanctions imposed by a trio of European states.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Nasser Kanaani, in a statement issued late on Tuesday, reiterated Iran’s denial that it has supplied the weapons and called the sanctions announced by Britain, France and Germany “economic terrorism” against the people of Iran.

He pledged that the three European countries would face “appropriate and proportionate action”.

France, Germany and the United Kingdom announced the sanctions earlier the same day after the United States formally accused Iran of supplying the weapons to Moscow.

The measures revoke bilateral deals for providing air services to Iran and impose sanctions on flag carrier Iran Air that will restrict its ability to fly to Europe.

“In addition, we will pursue the designations of significant entities and individuals involved with Iran’s ballistic missile programme and the transfer of ballistic missiles and other weapons to Russia,” the three European states said.

The Iranian spokesman’s statement did not mention similar sanctions that were announced by the US.

“Any claim that the Islamic Republic of Iran has sold ballistic missiles to the Russian Federation is completely baseless and false,” Kanaani said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, accuses Iran of supplying Russia with short-range ballistic missiles during a news conference with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on September 10, 2024, in London [Alberto Pezzali/Pool via Reuters]

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking alongside British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during a visit to London, said Russia had received shipments of ballistic missiles from Iran and would “likely use them within weeks in Ukraine”.

Warning that cooperation between Moscow and Tehran threatens wider European security, he added that dozens of Russian military personnel had received training in Iran on using the Fath-360 missile, which has a range of 120km (75 miles).

Posting on X, Kanaani said reports on the alleged transfers were “ugly propaganda” used to conceal “large illegal arms support of the United States and some Western countries for the genocide in Gaza”.

Iran is already one of the most heavily sanctioned countries in the world, and some experts have questioned the impact of more economic penalties that might hurt the country’s middle classes more than its leaders.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies