The ship was spotted at Port Olya in Astrakhan on the Caspian Sea on September 4, after leaving the Iranian port of Amirabad on August 29.
The vessel turned off its transponder shortly after departing Amirabad. The U.S. Treasury Department announced on Tuesday that the Russian Ministry of Defense has used the Port Olya 3 to transport close-range ballistic missiles (CRBMs) from Iran to Russia. According to the Treasury's assessment, the first shipment was received by Russia in early September 2024, leading to sanctions against the vessel, other ships, and several Iranian individuals.
Fateh-360
The military cooperation between Iran and Russia has increased since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Iran has previously supplied Russia with attack drones and, according to U.S. officials, established a drone factory in Russia.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Russia has received Iranian Fateh-360 ballistic missiles, which have a range of 120 kilometers and are likely to be used against Ukrainian targets within weeks. The missiles, which can carry a 150-kilogram payload, pose a new threat due to their difficulty to intercept.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a U.S.-based think tank, reported that Russian forces are expected to use these missiles to target Ukrainian infrastructure in the coming months.
The ISW also noted that Iranian ports such as Amirabad and Anzali have previously been used to transfer weapons to Russia.
Iran's Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, denied the allegations, stating that Iran has not supplied ballistic missiles to Russia. Despite this, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned the Iranian charge d’affaires and warned of severe consequences if the reports are true.
U.S. officials have indicated that the missile shipments from Iran to Russia could influence future military policies. It remains uncertain whether this development will lead the United States and its European allies to reconsider restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western-supplied missiles against targets inside Russia.
Source: CNN