— Russia has secretly helped Iran develop advanced supersonic cruise missile technology under a covert program codenamed C430L, according to an FT investigation based on leaked Russian correspondence, travel records, and military patent analysis.Since 2023, Russian missile specialists have assisted Iran with ramjet propulsion technology that could eventually power anti-ship and land-attack missiles capable of threatening U.S. naval forces.
Iran has already built and flight-tested the propulsion system, with Russian engineers analyzing test data and helping resolve technical problems.
The cooperation continued into 2026, including after the start of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, although there is no evidence that a Russian-assisted supersonic cruise missile has yet entered service.
