Iran has not provided mobile launchers alongside the short-range ballistic missiles that the US claimed Iran supplied to Russia for use in Ukraine. The European diplomat, the European intelligence official and the U.S. official said they cannot get to know why the launchers for the Fath-360 missiles were not offered.
A US official said the launchers were not delivered by the time the US made the announcement on the missile shipments. On September 10, the US claimed that Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, had said that Iran had transferred Fath-360 missiles to Russia, which will be used in the Ukraine conflict in the coming weeks. However, he did not reveal the number of missiles that had been delivered or the frequency of the shipment.
The European intelligence official also said they never expected Iran to furnish the launchers either, but no additional information was given.
The Fath-360 ranges up to 75 miles (121 km) and can pose even more problems to Ukraine as it scales its air defense to address those made by Russia. Blinken mentioned that these missiles are dangerous for European security as they allow Russia to save up its missile firepower for the next longer-range attacks.
Experts have proposed several reasons why Iran has decided to delay the delivery of the launchers. Ballistic missiles must be launched from a specialized truck, which raises questions of whether Iran is using civilian vehicles modified for this purpose and whether they will withstand the winter in Ukraine.
Furthermore, how many Iranian officials plan to meet European diplomats during the UN General Assembly to discuss Tehran’s nuclear program may have an impact on the country not launching the launchers.
