CIA Head: 'Full-Fledged Partnership Between Russia And Iran' - 'Dangerous Impact On The Middle East'

CIA head: Russia looking to support Iran, posing threat to US allies in Middle East

TOI staff

The head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) said in an interview broadcast Friday that Russia was looking to help Iran, which would pose a threat to US allies in the region.

“What’s beginning to emerge is at least the beginnings of a full-fledged defense partnership between Russia and Iran, with the Iranians supplying drones to the Russians, which are killing Ukrainian civilians as we speak today,” William Burns told PBS.

“The Russians are beginning to look at ways in which, technologically or technically, they can support the Iranians, which poses real threats to Iran’s own neighborhood, to many of our friends and partners in Iran’s neighborhood as well,” he said, without naming any of the countries.

Burns said the relationship between Tehran and Moscow was “already having an impact on the battlefield in Ukraine, again, costing the lives of a lot of innocent Ukrainians.”

“I think it can have an even more dangerous impact on the Middle East as well if it continues. So, it’s something that we take very, very seriously,” Burns said.

Iran has supplied suicide drones to Russia, which has in turn used the UAVs to hit civilian and infrastructure targets during its invasion of Ukraine. The EU has said it had evidence that Iran sold drones to Russia since the start of the invasion in February.

Burns’ comments came after the NBC network reported earlier this month that Russia is providing an “unprecedented level” of military and technical support to Iran, in exchange for the weapons Tehran has supplied for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

In addition to drones, Tehran is also reportedly considering supplying Russia with ballistic missiles.