The United States and the United Kingdom are reportedly concerned that Russia is sharing classified information and technology with Iran which could help the latter build nuclear weapons.
What Happened: Russia has been escalating its cooperation with Iran over its pursuit of atomic weapons, Bloomberg reported, citing Western officials familiar with the matter. Iran will, in turn, provide Russia with ballistic missiles for use in its ongoing war with Ukraine, they said.
The issue was a point of discussion between US and UK officials in Washington this week when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House, the report added.
Why It Matters: The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken alluded to this exchange of nuclear technology during a press conference in London last week. He then said that Russia had received a shipment of Iran's Fath-360 ballistic missiles, Bloomberg reported.
"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.
Despite Iran’s insistence that it has no plans to develop nuclear weapons, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) observed a surge in Iran’s nuclear fuel levels between June and August, raising concerns.
The possible collaboration between Iran and Russia on nuclear weapons could further aggravate the two ongoing wars around the globe, including the Israel-Hamas war and the Russia-Ukraine war.
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