Iran's sending missiles to Russia 'deeply concerning': Pentagon

​​​​​​​By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Iran sending ballistic missiles to Russia is "deeply concerning," the Pentagon said Tuesday.

"The United States has confirmed reports that Iran has transferred shipments of Fatah-360 close-range ballistic missiles to Russia, which we assess could employ them within weeks against Ukraine, leading to the deaths of even more Ukrainian civilians.

"To echo our State Department and White House colleagues, this is a deeply concerning development," spokesman Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters.

Ryder said the Iranian and Russian partnership threatens European security and "illustrates how Iran's destabilizing influence reaches beyond the Middle East and around the world."

"We do believe that dozens of Russian military personnel were trained in Iran to use this missile system. I'm not able to get into the intelligence in terms of the specific number of missiles. Needless to say, this is a concerning development, as I highlighted," he said.

Asked what Iran specifically has gotten in exchange, Ryder said: "Without going into specifics, we see them sharing information as it relates to nuclear programs, space and other technological capabilities that Russia has, that countries like Iran wants."

The US will continue to monitor the developments alongside its allies and partners across Europe and the Middle East, he added.