"In response to Iran's ongoing support for Russia's brutal war, we will be imposing additional sanctions on Iran in the coming days, and we are prepared to go further if Iran sells ballistic missiles to Russia," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, as cited by AFP.
Iran has been accused of providing support to Russia to wage its war in Ukraine, particularly by providing Moscow with drones or spare parts for the weapons.
"Iran is not helping Russia for free. In return for Iran's support, Russia has been offering Tehran unprecedented defense cooperation. So in total Iran is seeking billions of dollars' worth of military equipment from Russia," Kirby said.
The war in Ukraine will enter its third year this week with Moscow claiming gains in the east of the country. In recent months, Ukraine has been fighting an intense battle on the eastern front as it faces shortages in ammunition and delays in military aid from its Western allies.
Meanwhile, Russia has been increasing its arms production and recruitment of human resources to fight on the offensive. Moscow has also turned to allies Tehran and Pyongyang for arms supplies, according to the US.
According to the White House, drones and spare parts are sent from Amirabad in Iran to Makhachkala in Russia’s Dagestan on ships via the Caspian Sea. They are then launched towards Ukraine from airbases in the Russian cities of Sescha and Primorsko-Akhtarsk.
Iran has admitted to selling drone parts to Russia prior to the war which broke out in February last year. Tehran has repeatedly claimed to be a neutral actor in the war but Iranian-made Shahed-136/131 drones have repeatedly been used in Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. This has led to US and European Union sanctions on Iran.
