Iran exchanging ballistic missiles for Russian nuclear information, US, UK fear

The UK and US fear Russia may be sharing technology and confidential data with Iran, which could enable the Islamic Republic to achieve nuclear weapons, while Iran may be, in turn, granting Russia ballistic missiles to use in its war with Ukraine, according to Saturday reports by The Guardian and Bloomberg, citing officials familiar with the subject. 

Bloomberg further cited the officials as saying that such joint operations had increased in recent months. 

In addition, according to the two reports, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden discussed the developments and dubbed them as concerning at a conference held jointly in Washington DC last week. 

On Saturday, European Union chief Josep Borrell said the EU was considering sanctioning Iran's aviation sector following reports that Iran had provided Moscow with ballistic missiles. 

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in response that Iran would accept solving disputes via diplomacy but not "threats and pressure," according to state media reports.

In addition, G7 ministers said in a Saturday statement following the reports, "Iran must immediately cease all support to Russia's illegal and unjustifiable war against Ukraine and halt such transfers of ballistic missiles, UAVs (drones) and related technology, which constitute a direct threat to the Ukrainian people as well as European and international security more broadly."

'Troubling action'

Last week, UK Foreign Minister David Lammy characterized the transfer of ballistic missiles from Tehran to Moscow as a "troubling action" and a "significant escalation" in a joint London press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. 

In addition, the US, Germany, Britain, and France imposed new sanctions on Iran, including measures against its national airline Iran Air.