Iran is preparing to deliver advanced ballistic missile launchers to Russia, further strengthening a military relationship that has increased dramatically since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. According to a Reuters report, Tehran will send launch platforms for the Fattah-360, a short-range ballistic missile system, enabling Russia to deploy these weapons in active combat against Ukrainian forces. This transfer closes a crucial operational gap created when Iran previously supplied Russia with Fattah-360 missiles, as announced by the U.S. administration in September 2023.
The move signals an elevated phase in the Iranian-Russian alliance, underpinned by shared ambitions to challenge Western influence and undermine established security orders in both Europe and the Middle East. The Fattah-360, whose range extends up to 120 kilometers, has gained notoriety for its precision and mobility, and the delivery of its launchers gives Russia new firepower as it faces mounting supply challenges and Western sanctions on its indigenous weapons programs.
For Israel, Iran’s ever-expanding missile exports underline a grave and widening threat—from weapons trafficking to terrorist proxies, to the battlefield testing of new technologies in major international conflicts. Israel’s leadership and security establishment have repeatedly warned that the proliferation of such systems through Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) not only undermines regional stability but also feeds back into an axis of terror stretching across the Middle East. This axis includes Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and an array of Iran-backed militias operating in Syria and Iraq.
U.S. and Western intelligence agencies have condemned Iran’s weapons exports to Russia as clear violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions that restrict missiles and related technologies. While Iranian officials insist their military cooperation with Russia is legitimate, evidence points to a growing partnership that provides both states with meaningful battlefield advantages: Iran gets to test new weapons in real war conditions and solidifies its standing as a global disruptor, while Russia replenishes its arsenal at a time of acute shortages.
Israeli security experts stress that operational improvements and battlefield feedback from the Ukraine front could then flow to Iranian proxies targeting Israel. Hezbollah, known to possess significant numbers of Iranian-supplied missiles, may soon benefit from any enhancements identified through Russian deployments. This could intensify the threat of multi-front missile warfare against Israel’s population centers—an acute concern since the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre, the deadliest antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust, which began with a barrage of Iranian-designed weaponry.
The IRGC, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, sits at the center of these export and proliferation efforts. Its control over Iran’s missile program and extraterritorial operations provides a direct conduit linking Iranian state power, international terrorism, and great-power confrontation in Ukraine. Defense analysts note that this blurring of state and non-state military activity is part of Tehran’s long-term strategy to destabilize adversaries and evade direct conventional responses.
For Russia, acquiring Iranian launchers and missiles is a practical solution to munitions shortfalls highlighted by the ongoing war of attrition in Ukraine. The Fattah-360’s relatively short range fits operational needs on the front lines, striking targets beyond the scope of regular artillery but below the thresholds of strategic missile systems. Its deployment has the potential to complicate Ukrainian and Western-supplied air defense grids that are already strained by persistent drone and cruise missile attacks.
Furthermore, the Iran-Russia arms pipeline sends a clear signal to the West: Two of the world’s leading state antagonists remain committed to circumventing sanctions and using advanced weapon transfers as tools of mutual support. This is part of a strategic pattern, seen in the extensive use of Iranian Shahed drones by Russian forces since 2022, which have played a significant role in striking Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian targets.
The implications for Israel—and for any nation threatened by Iranian or Russian expansionism—are profound. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, continue to urge the international community to act decisively to enforce arms embargoes and disrupt the links between the IRGC and its partners. Israel sees the current acceleration of Iran’s weapons exports as an unmistakable danger, both in promoting violence against its own territory and in emboldening terror organizations across the region.
In response to these developments, the United States, under President Donald Trump, has reiterated its calls for maximum pressure on Iran. Washington insists that unchecked transfers of drones, missiles, and launch systems will only prolong regional wars and empower terror networks, making coordinated international action essential for global security.
From a broader perspective, the delivery of missile launchers to Russia is a concrete example of how Iran’s ambitions now extend from traditional proxy wars to supporting direct interstate conflicts. By enabling Russia to field tested Iranian arms in Ukraine, Tehran is leveraging the war as a showcase and improvement laboratory, with clear secondary benefits for its regional proxies.
Finally, Israeli analysts warn that innovations in missile warfare fueled by the Ukraine conflict—whether technical, tactical, or operational—may materialize across the terror networks threatening Israel’s borders. After the devastation wrought on October 7, Israeli defense doctrine remains focused on securing frontiers and developing advanced interception capabilities, such as the Iron Dome, in anticipation of increasingly sophisticated and diverse missile threats inspired by Iran.
As Iran prepares to ship ballistic missile launchers to Moscow, the risks extend well beyond Ukraine. The move reflects a strategic pivot in the global order, as revisionist powers and their terrorist allies deepen cooperation in ways that directly challenge Israel’s security, regional stability, and the integrity of international law. With the threat landscape evolving, Israel and its supporters urge a coordinated international response to constrain Iran’s arms pipeline and prevent its battlefield advances from fueling the next generation of terror across the Middle East.
