Russian Ship Likely Carrying Iranian Missiles Docks at Caspian Sea Port

Latest Developments

New satellite imagery showed a Russian cargo ship that was likely carrying Iranian ballistic missiles docking at a Russian port on the Caspian Sea, CNN reported on September 11. The imagery, provided by Maxar Technologies, showed the vessel, known as the Port Olya 3, docking at Port Olya in the southern Russian city of Astrakhan on September 4, one week after departing from the Iranian port of Amirabad. The CNN report comes a day after Washington sanctioned the Port Olya 3, with a U.S. Treasury Department press release noting that the Russian Ministry of Defense utilized the vessel to transport close-range ballistic missiles (CRBM) from Iran to Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on September 10 that Washington had long believed that Tehran would provide ballistic missiles to Russia “for use in Ukraine.” Blinken said that the United States had “warned Tehran publicly, we’ve warned Tehran privately that taking this step would constitute a dramatic escalation. 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 against Ukrainians.”

Expert Analysis

“The Caspian Sea basin continues to serve as a major sanctions-busting area that enables growing Russo-Iranian military ties. Washington and its international partners need to scale up their penalties and enforcement of existing authorities against the entire sale, supply, and transfer network behind Tehran’s missile deliveries.” — Behnam Ben Taleblu, FDD Senior Fellow

“In addition to expanding Russia’s capacity to strike targets up to 75 miles away, these Iranian missiles will free up longer-range Russian missiles for strikes against Ukrainian critical infrastructure and other deeper targets. As Russia continues to expand its capacity to attack Ukraine, it’s high time for the West to let Kyiv hit back. Western countries also need to provide Ukraine with additional air defense systems to protect its cities and critical infrastructure and shoot down Russian drones that scout targets for missile strikes.” — John Hardie, Deputy Director of FDD’s Russia Program

New U.S. Sanctions

On September 10, the Biden administration announced a fresh round of sanctions against 10 individuals, six entities, and four vessels in Iran and Russia that have enabled transfers of ballistic missiles and other weapons between the two countries. The U.S. Treasury noted that Iranian personnel trained their Russian counterparts in the summer of 2024 to use CRBMs. Moscow received the first shipment of the CRBMs earlier this month, Treasury said.

In addition to the Port Olya 3, Washington’s key targets included Russia-based Ruhollah Katebi, Moscow’s point of contact for Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, and Iran-based Ali Ja’farabadi, commander of the Salman Farsi Space Command in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Air Force.

Key sanctioned entities included the Iran-based Azadegan Transportation Company, which Treasury described as “an IRGC-affiliated company critical to the logistics operations of the IRGC.” Another sanctioned entity, the Farzanegan Propulsion Systems Design Bureau, “has supplied Russian weapons makers with samples of Farzanegan’s engines in support of Russian cruise missile development,” Treasury said.

Lapsed UN Embargo

Reports that Iran intended to provide Russia with ballistic missiles first surfaced in the fall of 2022. But those plans were apparently “put on hold,” a U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency analyst told CNN in July 2023. Israeli intelligence suggested Tehran was concerned about inviting international backlash, as the missile transfers would violate a UN embargo that accompanied the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. However, that embargo expired in October 2023. Tehran now sees “no reason to hide” the missile deliveries, an Iranian official told Reuters in February 2024, adding: “We are allowed to export weapons to any country that we wish to.”

Related Analysis

“Blinken Confirms Iranian Ballistic Missile Transfers to Russia,” FDD Flash Brief

“Iranian Lawmaker Admits Tehran Sent Missiles to Russia,” FDD Flash Brief

“Iran Reportedly Will Send Hundreds of Ballistic Missiles to Russia,” FDD Flash Brief