(CNN) –– A Russian cargo ship suspected of carrying Iranian ballistic missiles for Moscow’s war against Ukraine was spotted in a port on the Caspian Sea a week ago, satellite images shared with CNN show.
The ship, the Port Olya 3, was identified by Maxar Technologies in satellite images taken on September 4 in Port Olya, Astrakhan. The ship had previously been in the Iranian port of Amirabad on August 29, according to ship tracking data. The vessel turned off its transmitter sometime later.
The US Treasury Department concluded on Tuesday that the Russian Ministry of Defense had “used the Port Olya-3 ship to transport CRBMs (short-range ballistic missiles) from Iran to Russia.”
“In early September 2024, Russia received the first shipment of CBRM from Iran,” the Treasury said, while announcing sanctions for the Port Olya 3 along with other Iranian vessels and individuals.
CNN reported last weekend that Iran had recently transferred short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine, a significant escalation in Iran’s support for Russia.
The military relationship between Iran and Russia has grown closer since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Iran has supplied thousands of “Shahed” attack drones to Russia and, according to US officials, built a drone factory in Russia.
The satellite images emerged the day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in London on Tuesday that the United States believed the Russian military had received shipments of Iranian Fath-360 ballistic missiles and “will likely use them.” in a few weeks in Ukraine against the Ukrainians.”
The Fath-360 has a range of up to 120 kilometers and can carry a payload of 150 kilograms. While the payload is smaller than many Russian aerial bombs, it would be practical for attacking Ukrainian front-line positions from a considerable distance and, as a ballistic missile, would be much more difficult to intercept.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) concluded that “Russian forces are likely to use missiles supplied by Iran to attack Ukraine’s energy, military and civilian infrastructure in the coming months.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi denied that the Islamic Republic had supplied ballistic missiles to Russia, posting in erroneous and faulty logic. Iran has NOT delivered ballistic missiles to Russia. Spot”.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry summoned Iranian chargé d’affaires Shahriar Amouzegar this week following reports of ballistic missiles being sent to Russia. Amouzegar was warned that relations between Ukraine and Iran would have “devastating and irreparable consequences” if the reports were true.
Ukrainian officials contacted by CNN on Wednesday declined to comment further.
The Washington-based ISW think tank noted that Iran had already transferred weapons from the Caspian Sea ports of Amirabad and Anzali to Astrakhan. Port Olya 3 itself has made a dozen recorded visits to the two Iranian ports this year. On September 6, she had left the Russian port for another voyage.
Blinken noted on Tuesday that Washington had “privately warned Iran that taking this step would constitute a dramatic escalation.”
He said dozens of Russian military personnel had been trained in Iran to use the Fath-360, the supply of which “allows Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets farther from the front line, while dedicating the new missiles it is receiving from Iran to closer range objectives.
US officials previously told CNN that Russian negotiations to acquire short-range ballistic missiles from Iran began as early as last September, when then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to Iran to view the short-range ballistic missile systems. of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“For its part, Russia is sharing the technology that Iran seeks. “It is a two-way street, which includes nuclear issues and also some spatial information,” Blinken added this Tuesday.
What remains unclear is whether Iran’s delivery of ballistic missiles that can be fired from Russia against targets in Ukraine will persuade the United States and its European allies to relax restrictions on the use of Ukrainian missiles against more targets in Russia.
Ukraine has occasionally used US-made HIMARS missiles against targets located 60 to 80 kilometers from Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has frequently asked Kyiv’s allies for greater freedom to use Western missiles against targets inside Russia.
The issue is likely to come up at a meeting between US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington on Friday.
–– Victoria Butenko, Natasha Bertrand and Kylie Atwood contributed to this report.
