The Financial Times reports that Russia has been secretly helping Iran develop supersonic cruise missile technology since 2023, in what could become one of Moscow’s most significant military technology transfers to Tehran.
The program, known as C430L, involves Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport and NPO Mashinostroyenia, with Russian missile engineers traveling repeatedly to Iran and analyzing Iranian ramjet flight-test data. The technology could eventually enable Iran to field faster, low altitude anti ship and land attack cruise missiles that would be significantly harder for U.S. and allied defenses to intercept.
Iran has already built and flight tested the ramjet propulsion system, but the FT found no evidence that a Russian assisted supersonic cruise missile has been deployed. The leaked correspondence indicates the program remained active into June 2026, including discussions about a next phase, although it is unclear whether that phase has begun.
The development is particularly significant for U.S. naval forces in the Middle East: Iran has demonstrated an ability to threaten American bases with drones and ballistic missiles, but has so far been less successful against U.S. naval assets. A mature ramjet powered anti ship missile could give Tehran a substantially more capable weapon for targeting ships in the Gulf and surrounding waters.
Source: https://www.ft.com/content/6cf367bc-95b0-4f1f-b149-a25684adefc3?syn-25a6b1a6=1
