'Israel' worries Iran could get Russian hypersonic missiles
3 Min Read
Israeli security officials fear that warm ties between Russia and Iran could become a "growing threat to Israel."
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A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launching during a training launch as part of the Grom-2022 Strategic Deterrence Force exercise in Russia. (AFP)
Israeli occupation officials are concerned with the deal that Russia is about to sign with Iran to purchase several hundred additional drones, because they believe it could pave the way for more sophisticated deliveries, possibly even hypersonic missiles.
Officials from the occupation told 'Israel Hayom' that the UAV contract would be finalized soon, confirming earlier allegations in US media about the two sides' growing military collaboration, which, according to an NBC report, might reach new highs.
According to the website, Israeli officials believe the number is likely to be capped at several hundred drones at a total cost of several hundreds of millions of euros in cash, it is expected to be implemented in the coming days, potentially resulting in exacerbated tensions in the 10-month war.
It continued that the two sides are looking to establish a production line of drones in Russia, adding that Russia has also shown interest in buying surface-to-surface missiles from Iran, but no deal has been finalized as of yet.
The Mossad estimates that the "ever-deepening collaboration is poised to become a growing threat to Israel," according to the Israeli report.
According to 'Israel Hayom,' concerned parties warn as relations between the two countries get closer, Russia could transfer hypersonic missiles to Iran, which can travel at speeds up to many times the speed of sound. They caution that this could limit Israeli employment of its air force along its northern border.
Iran's ballistic missiles could bring change to conflict in Ukraine
Earlier this month, the former Israeli ambassador to Moscow and the head of the Russia Program at the Institute for National Security Studies, Arkady Mil-Man, said that the growing cooperation between Iran and Russia poses a real danger to the security of the Israeli occupation.
"The dangers of cooperation between Iran and Russia is not only in terms of the usage of drones and the establishment of manufacturing plants for them. There is also a great fear that the Russians help the Iranians on their nuclear program, which we perceive as a serious danger," Mil-Man told Israeli Channel 12.
The Iranians also have the technological capabilities in terms of manufacturing ballistic missiles, he said. "Their usage in the Ukraine war will bring changes [to the conflict...], at the end of the day, these missiles are directed toward 'Israel'," he added.
Israeli media had previously reported on the concerns of the Israeli occupation's military intelligence regarding Russian-Iranian cooperation, chiefly on military and security.
The occupation's media cited intelligence reports that alleged there was a bilateral agreement between Iran and Russia to manufacture hundreds of military UAVs in Moscow and export advanced air defense systems from Russia to Iran.
"What is concerning 'Israel' is not only the capability to mass manufacture the drones, through the repercussions of such a step could be tough for Israel," Israeli Channel 13 foreign affairs commentator Nadav Eyal said last week.
"What is also a point of concern is that the transport of advanced Russian air defense systems [to Iran] would make it a lot more difficult for the Israeli air force to target sites on Iranian soil," he added.
Iran has been facing accusations of having supplied weapons to Russia without any substantial evidence.
