Russia agreed to supply Iran with 90 helicopter missile launchers
Russia has arranged to supply Iran with 90 launchers for advanced guided missiles, according to leaked defense industry documents.
The documents, obtained by Dallas Analytics, a Ukrainian private intelligence firm and shared with the Guardian, detail plans to supply Iran with launchers for the LMUR, a guided missile fired from attack helicopters which Russian forces have used extensively against Ukrainian targets since the full-scale invasion in 2022.
A production schedule drawn up in May 2024 by Vympel, a leading Russian designer of missiles and launch systems, lists an order for 90 launchers under an export contract designated "K-10", with deliveries scheduled between late 2024 and December 2025. Separate internal paperwork explicitly identifies K-10 as Iran.
Strategic Implications
The files offer fresh insight into Russian-Iranian military cooperation at a sensitive moment as Washington weighs its next steps in its war against Iran after the US midterm elections. Observers widely regard Moscow as one of the main winners of a prolonged war in Iran, which has brought Russia strategic and economic advantages.
Russia has benefited from an increase in global energy prices triggered by disruptions to shipping through the strait of Hormuz and attacks on energy infrastructure across the Gulf. Higher oil revenues give the Kremlin an additional source of funds for its war in Ukraine and could help ease pressure on Russia's strained budget.
Contradictory Claims
Donald Trump has repeatedly played down the extent of Moscow's support for Iran. Last month, the US president wrote that Russia was doing "very little, if anything" to help Tehran, arguing that he did not want to drive Moscow away from negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Russia was doing "very little, if anything" to help Tehran
Trump's claims contrast with European intelligence findings that Russia has provided Iran with key data and satellite images that could help it target US forces in the Middle East. European intelligence agencies have also warned that Moscow was preparing to supply Tehran with explosive-laden drones for use against the US and Israel.
Expanding Cooperation
Military cooperation between Russia and Iran has expanded significantly since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when Tehran became a crucial supplier of Shahed attack drones, which Russia has since begun manufacturing domestically.
In October alone, senior Russian and Iranian officials held three high-level meetings, underscoring the growing importance both governments attach to their relationship. Moscow has been careful not to publicize its military cooperation with Tehran, wary of jeopardizing Putin's relationship with Trump.
The leaked documents provide a glimpse into the pressures facing Russia's defense industry. In the May 2024 letter, Vympel warned that delays in the supply of essential components threatened the assembly of missile launchers and risked disrupting Russian state defense contracts.
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