Fath To Shahed: Iran Sent Missiles Worth $2.7 Billion To Russia In 4 Years

Iran has sold nearly $3 billion worth of missiles to Russia to aid President Vladimir Putin's nearly four-year-long war in Ukraine, according to an assessment from a Western security official.  

Contracts with Moscow starting from October 2021—before the war began—for ballistic and surface-to-air missiles amount to roughly $2.7 billion, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The purchases have included hundreds of Fath 360 short-range ballistic missiles, nearly 500 other short-range ballistic missiles and approximately 200 surface-to-air missiles associated with anti-aircraft defence systems.

Moscow and Tehran have drawn closer since Putin's February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The conflict has triggered sweeping sanctions against Moscow and the Kremlin's most serious confrontation with the West since the Cold War, while Iran's provision of weapons to Russia has further deepened the two countries' partnership. 

Russia's Defence Ministry didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Iranian foreign ministry also didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. There are heavy restrictions on the Internet and a near blackout in the country.

Iran has delivered millions of rounds of ammunition and shells, according to the assessment, which doesn't represent the entirety of what Moscow has purchased from Tehran, as more equipment is expected to be supplied.

Tehran has also supplied Shahed-136 “kamikaze” drones and shared technology that has enabled Russia to manufacture them domestically under the name “Geran-2” as part of a $1.75 billion contract signed at the beginning of 2023.

A war crimes prosecutor stands beside the remains of a Russian-made, Iran-designed Shahed-136 drone, known as a Geran-2 in Russia in Kharkiv, Ukraine on on July 30. Photographer: Scott Peterson/Getty Images

In total, Russia has spent more than the equivalent of $4 billion on Iranian military equipment since late 2021, according to the assessment. 

Iran, whose government is crushing ongoing violent protests, sought to deepen its ties with Russia starting in the 2010s, smarting from the West's ability to isolate it over the country's nuclear programme. 

While Iran signed a strategic partnership with Russia in January 2025, it doesn't contain a mutual-defence pact, and Moscow didn't offer any tangible assistance to Tehran during Israeli and US strikes on Iran last year. Russia is building a trade route with Tehran connecting to India to try to weaken the impact of sanctions, and officials have discussed boosting financial and banking cooperation.