The US has warned a “full-fledged” defence partnership is emerging between Russia and Iran, suggesting that Tehran has become Moscow‘s “top military backer”.
“Russia is seeking to collaborate with Iran in areas like weapons development and training,” US national security council spokesperson John Kirby said yesterday. He said Moscow was offering Tehran an “unprecedented level” of military and technical support.
Both the nations were considering setting up a drone assembly line in Russia for the ongoing war in Ukraine, Mr Kirby said, adding that Russia was training Iranian pilots on the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter.
Moscow has been accused of using Iranian “kamikaze” drones to launch a series of attacks on Ukraine in October.
“Russia’s been using Iranian drones to strike energy infrastructure, depriving millions of Ukrainians of power, heat, critical services,” the spokesperson said.
“People in Ukraine today are actually dying as a result of Iran’s actions.”
Meanwhile, Russian president Vladimir Putin said Moscow could adopt what he described as a US concept of using preemptive military strikes amid rising tensions with Nato.
“We are just thinking about it. They weren’t shy to openly talk about it during the past years.”
