British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden have voiced alarm over the possibility of Russia sharing nuclear expertise with Iran in exchange for ballistic missiles used against Ukraine. The issue was a key topic during their summit in Washington DC on Friday, as reported by The Guardian.
The leaders acknowledged the tightening military cooperation between Russia and Iran at a time when Tehran is reportedly advancing its uranium enrichment program. British sources indicated that concerns were raised about Iran's potential trade for nuclear technology, highlighting a deepening alliance between the two nations.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously warned of this development during a visit to London last week. "Russia is sharing technology that Iran seeks – this is a two-way street – including on nuclear issues as well as some space information," Blinken stated, accusing both countries of engaging in destabilizing activities.
Britain, France, and Germany jointly cautioned last week that Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium had "continued to grow significantly, without any credible civilian justification." The three nations reported that Iran had accumulated four "significant quantities" that could each be used to produce a nuclear bomb.
The extent of Tehran's technical capability to construct a nuclear weapon remains unclear. However, collaboration with experienced Russian specialists could potentially accelerate the process, although Iran denies any intention to build nuclear weapons.
The 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and Western nations, which aimed to halt Iran's nuclear weapons program in exchange for sanctions relief, was abandoned in 2018 by then-US President Donald Trump. Iran subsequently breached agreed limits on enriched uranium stockpiles.
Western concerns about Iran's nuclear capabilities have contributed to heightened tensions in the Middle East, already strained by the ongoing war in Gaza. Iran and its proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, support Hamas, making Tehran's nuclear development a direct threat to Israel.
The growing alliance between Russia and Iran has been evident in their military cooperation. Iran has supplied Shahed drones to Russia for use in Ukraine and recently launched a missile and drone attack against Israel, which was largely thwarted with US and UK assistance.
During their summit, Starmer and Biden also discussed the potential use of long-range Anglo-French Storm Shadow missiles by Ukraine against targets within Russia. The decision would require US approval due to American-made components in the missiles.
The leaders and their teams engaged in a comprehensive discussion about strategy, covering topics including the war in Ukraine, the Middle East crisis, Iran, and the emerging competition with China.
