What Happened
Moscow, Tehran Bypass Sanctions Through Technology Transfer
Russia and Iran are collaborating on a supersonic anti-ship and land-attack cruise missile, with Russia’s state arms exporter and a sanctioned rocket design bureau involved in the project. The cooperation, codenamed C430L, centers on a ramjet propulsion system and has been ongoing since 2023. This development highlights the limitations of current sanctions, which focus on banking and financial transactions rather than the transfer of technology and expertise. According to the Middle East Forum Observer, the project underscores the need for Western countries to reassess their approach to countering Russian-Iranian military-technical cooperation.