Iran hawks still skeptical as Blinken unveils sanctions for Tehran’s ballistic missile sales to Russia

Biden’s Iran critics urge stronger sanctions enforcement and even tougher rhetoric as Putin relies on Tehran to provide equipment for its war in Ukraine

US secretary of state Antony Blinken, during a visit to London, accused Iran of supplying the missiles to Russia (Alberto Pezzali/PA) (PA Wire)

The Biden administration rolled out another round of sanctions this week targeting the military partnership between Iran and Russia, the latter of which has relied upon Tehran to provide equipment to supply its stagnating invasion of Ukraine.

But some on Capitol Hill remained skeptical that the new measures — which mirror a number of largely similar actions taken over the past several years — will do much to halt the Iranian weapons trade with Moscow.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in the UK at a press conference alongside foreign minister David Lammy that Russia had recently acquired new ballistic missiles from Iran and would likely use them in the war against Ukraine in the coming weeks. The US, he said, would repond with a round of sanctions, while a number of European countries including the UK would announce their own measures.

“Dozens of Russian military personnel have been trained in Iran to use the FATH-360 close-range ballistic missile system, which has a maximum range of 75 miles. Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine,” said the US secretary.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking alongside British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during a visit to London, said Iran had ignored warnings that the transfer of weapons to Russia would be a profound escalation of the conflict.

“Now, to wage its war of aggression on… pic.twitter.com/XV97UQurCm

— Yasmina (@yasminalombaert) September 10, 2024

UK officials announced their own round of sanctions while also halting all flights to Iran.

There was a somewhat muted reaction on Capitol Hill, however, as the actions were seen as part of a long line of sanctions and threats which have, in the long run, had mixed effects on curbing either Tehran’s military relationship with Moscow or its own activities throughout the Middle East, including support for militant groups such as the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas in the occupied Palestinian territories, and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Some skeptics of the Biden administration’s approach towards the Iranian regime assembled for a panel discussion and conference on Tuesday hosted by the Organization of Iranian-American Communities (OIAC). One was retired General James L. Jones, former President Barack Obama’s national security adviser from 2009-2010, who told The Independent in a statement that sanctions were “part of a kit” that the US can use to curb Tehran’s ambitions, but added: “They have to be enforced.”

US secretary of state Antony Blinken, during a visit to London, accused Iran of supplying the missiles to Russia (Alberto Pezzali/PA) (PA Wire)

“They have to have consequences,” he continued. “We have to do better communicating with the Iranian regime that the politics... the strategy of appeasement is not going to be part of our kit anymore.”

Tom Cotton, one of the Senate’s most hardline conservatives, issued a more direct condemnation of the administration and accused the White House of “surrendering” the Red Sea to the Houthis despite efforts by the US Navy to keep shipping lanes open and safe from attack.

“For nearly 11 months, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have surrendered the Red Sea to an Iranian-backed terrorist group,” he wrote on Twitter. “The Biden-Harris strategy of appeasing the ayatollahs continues to cause global chaos.”

For nearly 11 months, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have surrendered the Red Sea to an Iranian-backed terrorist group.

The Biden-Harris strategy of appeasing the ayatollahs continues to cause global chaos.

— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) September 10, 2024

At a congressional hearing in December, some lawmakers argued that the Biden administration has been insufficient in enforcement of sanctions. Republicans in general also strongly opposed the president’s approval of a deal that resulted in the return of Americans wrongly imprisoned in Iran in exchange for the Treasury Department unfreezing billions of dollars of Iranian funds held up in the US financial system.

Three companies were hit by the latest US measures, including two based in Russia and one in Iran, for their alleged roles in the ongoing supply of military materials bound for the battlefield in Ukraine. Iran’s national airliner was among the three entities targeted by the measures, and was cited by the US for allegedly being used by the Iranian government to transport materials used in the construction of drones as well as playing a role in the recent transfer of ballistic missiles. Iran’s military drone program has been a growing thorn in the west’s side in recent years; Tehran’s affiliated forces have in past years directed drone-based attacks against both Israel and Saudi Arabia.

A fact sheet released by the State Department further alleged that Iran Air “constitutes a key element of Iran’s illicit proliferation network enabling Iran’s acquisition of sensitive-western origin dual-use materials for use in the development of UAVs, some of which are provided to Russia for use in Ukraine.”

The White House, commenting on the sanctions on Tuesday, threatened further “significant economic costs” against Tehran if it continued to supply Russia with arms and other military assistance.

“The new Iranian president and the foreign minister have repeatedly claimed that they want to engage with Europe and garner sanctions relief. Destabilizing actions like this just fly in the face of that rhetoric and ultimately hurt their own economy,” said national security council (NSC) spokesman John Kirby.