Iran sells nearly $3 billion worth of missiles to Russia, first deals were made before the big war – Bloomberg
Vladimir Putin in front of the flags of Iran and Russia (Illustrative photo: EPA)

Iran sold Russia missiles worth several billion dollars to help the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to fight against Ukraine, writes Bloomberg, citing an assessment by an anonymous Western security official.

According to him, contracts for the supply of ballistic missiles and surface-to-air missiles began to be signed with Moscow in October 2021 (i.e., before the full-scale invasion), and their volume is about $2.7 billion.

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We are talking about the purchase of hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles Fath-360, and about 500 other short-range missiles, as well as about 200 surface-to-air missiles designed for air defense systems.

According to the official, Iran has supplied millions of rounds of ammunition and shells, but these data do not reflect the full scope of Moscow's purchases, as additional weapons are expected to be delivered.

Tehran also handed over Shahed-136 kamikaze drones to Russia and shared the technology that allowed the occupiers to manufacture these UAVs on its territory under the name "Geranium-2" under a $1.75 billion contract signed in early 2023, Bloomberg reports.

In total, since the end of 2021, Russia has spent the equivalent of more than $4 billion on Iranian weapons, according to the official.

The Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to Bloomberg's request for comment. Iran's foreign ministry also did not. Amid mass protests, the Islamic Republic is facing significant restrictions on the use of the Internet and an almost complete blackout.

In January 2025, Iran and Russia signed an agreement on strategic partnership between the countries, but the document does not contain commitments on mutual defense, and Moscow did not provide Tehran with no tangible help during the Israeli and US strikes on the country in the summer of that year.

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  • On January 10, Trump said that his country was ready to help Iranians protesting against the current regime in their country. At the same time, the WSJ's interlocutors said that the US presidential administration held preliminary discussions of a possible attack on the Islamic Republic.
  • Reuters interlocutors said that Israel is on high alert for any US interference in Iran's affairs.
  • As of January 11, 116 people were known to have died during the protests in Iran, and about 2,600 more were detained.
  • Semyvolos, director of the Center for Middle East Studies, explained in an interview with LIGA.net that there are positive and negative for Ukraine scenarios for the development of protests in Iran.