US and UK concerned that Russia reveals nuclear secrets to Iran
The United States and the UK are increasingly concerned that Russia is sharing classified information and technologies with Iran that could bring Tehran closer to building nuclear weapons.
Source: Bloomberg, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Unnamed Western officials familiar with the matter said that the Kremlin has stepped up cooperation with Iran in recent months in connection with its ambitions to acquire nuclear weapons.
These developments were discussed by US and UK officials in Washington this week when Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with President Joe Biden at the White House. They described the developments as worrying and highlighted the escalation of military ties between Russia and Iran.
The White House National Security Council spokesperson said the Biden administration remains deeply concerned about Iran's nuclear activities. Biden has made it clear that the US is prepared to use all elements of national power to prevent any nuclear escalation by Iran, the spokesman said on Saturday.
During a recent visit to London, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that Russia was exchanging nuclear technology with Tehran, saying that Moscow had received a shipment of Iranian Fath-360 ballistic missiles.
"For its part, Russia is sharing technology that Iran seeks – this is a two-way street – including on nuclear issues, as well as some space information," Blinken said.
Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy agreed during talks in London that "Iran's nuclear programme had never been more advanced," the US State Department said in a joint statement on Saturday.
Iran insists that it is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons, although there are concerns that it could develop them in response to escalating tensions with Israel.
The G7 foreign ministers condemned "Iran's exports and Russia's purchase of Iranian ballistic missiles" in a joint statement on Saturday, calling it a further escalation of Iran's military support for Russia's war in Ukraine and demanding that it stop immediately.
Recently, UK intelligence has reported that the supply of Iranian ballistic missiles will enhance Russia's ability to conduct precision strikes on Ukrainian military or civilian targets near the front line.
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