US believes Iran has transferred short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, AP sources say

The United States has informed allies that it believes Iran has transferred short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the matter.

They did not offer any details about how many weapons have been delivered or when the transfers may have occurred, but they confirmed the U.S. intelligence finding. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a matter that has not been disclosed publicly disclosed.

The White House declined to confirm the weapons transfer but reiterated its concern that Iran is deepening its support of Russia. The White House has been warning Iran for months not to transfer ballistic missiles to Russia.

«Any transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would represent a dramatic escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and lead to the killing of more Ukrainian civilians,» National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in a statement. «This partnership threatens European security and illustrates how Iran’s destabilizing influence reaches beyond the Middle East and around the world.”

The U.S. finding comes as the Kremlin tries to repel Ukraine's surprise offensive that has led to the seizure of about 500 square miles (1,300 kilometers) of Russia’s Kursk region. Meanwhile, Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is pressing allies to allow his country to use Western-supplied missiles to strike deep inside Russia and hit sites from which Moscow launches aerial attacks.

Iran, as it has with previous U.S. intelligence findings, denied providing Russia with weapons for its war in Ukraine.

“Iran considers the provision of military assistance to the parties engaged in the conflict — which leads to increased