Summary of the day
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said Russia has now received shipments of ballistic missiles from Iran and “will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine against Ukrainians”.
France, Germany and the United Kingdom condemned the export of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia in a joint statement. “This act is an escalation by both Iran and Russia, and is a direct threat to European security,” they wrote.
The three countries also said “we will be taking immediate steps to cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran” and “will pursue the designations of significant entities and individuals involved with Iran’s ballistic missile programme.”
The UK added 7 designations under the Iran sanctions regime and 3 designations under the Russia sanctions regime.
Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia’s security council, said that Moscow is completing steps in order to sign a new treaty with Iran soon
Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office, said sanctions against Iran are a positive step but reiterated a call for authorising the use of western weapons against military targets on Russian territory.
Ukraine has carried out one its biggest drone attacks on Russia since the beginning of the war, killing a woman in the Moscow region and forcing the closure of airports around the capital.
After Germany announced a plan to impose tighter controls at all its land borders, Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, said the decision is unacceptable for his country.
Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia’s security council, has said that Moscow is completing steps in order to sign a new treaty with Iran soon, Reuters reported citing Tass.
