Iran did not include mobile launchers (PU) in its deliveries to Russia, but only sent short-range ballistic missiles, Reuters reported citing sources, Yahoo writes.
“The sources – a European diplomat, a European intelligence official and a US official – said it was unclear why Iran had not delivered Fath-360 missile launchers, raising questions about when and whether the weapon would be used (by Russia). EADaily)”, – says the article.
According to the U.S. official, who like others spoke on condition of anonymity, Iran had not sent the launchers at the time the U.S. announced Iran’s arms sales to Russia. A European intelligence official said, without elaborating, that they did not expect Tehran to deliver the launchers.
According to experts, there may be several reasons why the launchers were not sent to Russia.
One reason Iran has not sent the launchers may be that the civilian trucks Iran has modified to launch these and other missiles are not reliable enough to handle rough terrain during Ukraine’s harsh winter, said an Iranian missile expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Fabian HinzIran is modifying trucks from Mercedes and other companies and turning them into easily camouflaged missile launchers, he said. This suggests that Russia may be modifying its own military vehicles.
However, he stressed that he could not confirm whether Tehran was holding on to the launchers, as did the former UN nuclear inspector who heads the Institute for Science and International Security. David Albright.
According to him, the new president of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian and other Iranian officials will meet with European officials on the sidelines of next week’s U.N. General Assembly in New York to test the potential for diplomacy over Tehran’s nuclear program, regional tensions and other disputes.
“Maybe they (Iran) are holding back the launchers to give some space for these negotiations. One can imagine that if Iranian missiles were to rain down (on Ukraine), it would provoke condemnation in the General Assembly.” – he pointed out.
However, he doubts that Iran will make the necessary compromises.
US Secretary of State Antonio Blinken said on September 10 that Iran had supplied Fath-360s to Russia and would “probably use them within weeks in Ukraine.”
The missiles threaten European security and will be fired at short-range targets, allowing Russia to reserve more of its vast arsenal for targets behind the front lines, Blinken said.
The United States, Germany, Britain and France imposed new sanctions on Iran over the shipments, and the EU said it was considering new measures targeting Iran’s aviation sector.
