US says Iran now Russia’s ‘top military backer’
Russia and Iran’s relationship has warmed to a fully-fledged defense partnership, the US has said.
Russia is giving an unprecedented level of military support, says US national security council spokesman John Kirby.
The US has seen reports that the two countries are considering joint production of lethal drones, he adds.
It comes after Ukraine accused Iran of supplying Russia with “kamikaze” drones used in deadly attacks on 17 October, which Tehran initially denied.
In response, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said this was a lie and that many more Iranian drones were being used.
The Ukrainian air force said it downed 10 of 15 such drones used to attack southern regions in the early hours of Saturday.
The strikes left more than 1.5 million people without power in Odesa, Zelensky said in his evening address, adding it could take days for electricity to be restored.
Earlier, Australia announced it was sanctioning three Iranians and one Iranian business for supplying Russia with drones to use against Ukraine.
Speaking on Friday, Kirby said that a partnership between Iran and Russia to produce drones would be harmful to Ukraine, Iran’s neighbors, and the international community.
“Russia is seeking to collaborate with Iran in areas like weapons development, training,” he said, adding that the US fears that Russia intended to “provide Iran with advanced military components” including helicopters and air defense systems.
Agencies