Amid Iran's denials of aiding Russia with missile supplies for its war in Ukraine, Iranian officials boasted of their "latest achievements” in the defense sector during a three-day military exhibition in Moscow.
“Our drones have become the stuff of legend, their renown echoing across the globe, making them a must-see for every nation—alongside, naturally, our missiles,” Ali Shadmani, Deputy Coordinator of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, told IRNA on the sidelines of the exhibition.
Iran’s Ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, who attended the exhibition, also lauded Tehran’s defense achievements in an interview with the Iranian state news agency.
He remarked that officials from numerous nations “envy” Iran’s advancements when visiting its pavilion, underscoring that “progress in the defense and military fields is not mere rhetoric but a proud reality.”
Jalali further praised the strong ties between Tehran and Moscow, countering claims by “those who seek to demonize countries like Russia and Iran as the true war-mongers.”
In spite of denials of supporting Russia's war in Ukraine, he said that Iran's “political, economic, cultural, and particularly defense and military relations with Russia are not directed against any nation.”
The very entity present at the exhibition—Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which plays a pivotal role in coordinating Iran's military production—was sanctioned by the EU in May for precisely this reason: supporting Russia's war on Ukraine.
Since mid-2022, Iran has supplied Russia with hundreds of Shahed suicide drones, which have been extensively employed in targeting civilian infrastructure and urban centers across Ukraine. In response, NATO has urged Tehran to cease its military cooperation with Moscow in addition to multiple nations such as the US and Britain levying sanctions on Russia for its support of Russia.
Last week, a report from Reuters indicated that dozens of Russian military personnel are currently being trained in Iran to operate the Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile system.
It cited two European intelligence sources which warned of an imminent delivery of hundreds of the satellite-guided missiles to Russia.
Unlike the Shahed drones, which carry a relatively small payload of explosives at around 45 kilograms and are more vulnerable to interception due to their slower speed, the Fath-360 missiles represent a far more potent threat.
Iran's UN representative dismissed the Reuters report, refuting the claims that Iran is preparing to supply hundreds of missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
The International Military-Technical Forum "Army-2024" appeared to draw limited international participation, a reflection of Russia's growing isolation amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Over the past two years, Western sanctions have increasingly targeted entities and individuals worldwide, intensifying efforts to isolate Moscow on the global stage.
According to reports from Russian state media outlet Sputnik, four nations—Belarus, Iran, India, and China—have exclusively organized national exhibitions and individual stands representing defense industry enterprises.