Western powers sanction Iran over missiles to Russia

Western powers on Tuesday announced fresh sanctions on Iran for supplying Russia with short-range missiles for imminent use against Ukraine, calling it a dangerous escalation of the conflict that threatened European security.

Britain, France and Germany said they would cut aviation agreements with the Islamic republic and sanction its national carrier Iran Air, claiming Tehran had repeatedly defied warnings about the weapons transfers.

"This act is an escalation by both Iran and Russia, and is a direct threat to European security," the so-called E3 powers said in a joint statement.

President Joe Biden meanwhile said the United States was considering lifting restrictions on Ukraine using long-range, U.S.-made missiles against Russia to help it defend itself in return.

"We're working that out right now," Biden told reporters at the White House.

On a visit to London, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that the Iranian missiles could be used against Ukraine "within weeks".

Dozens of Russian military personnel have trained in Iran using the Fath-360 missile, which has a range of 75 miles (120 kilometres), he added.

The British government announced soon afterwards that it had already begun "the termination of all direct air services between the U.K. and Iran".

Washington accused Iran Air of "operating or having operated in the transportation sector of the Russian Federation economy", sanctioning it and 10 individuals and companies involved in the supply.

  'False and misleading' 

The move was dismissed In Iran, where foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said the Western claims were false and a distraction from U.S. backing for Israel in its war against Hamas militants.<...