Lammy and Blinken joint visit to Kyiv amid fears over Iran-Russia missile deal

Iran has been hit with sanctions by the UK and US after the two countries formally accused Tehran of supplying ballistic missiles to Russia.

The announcement came after Foreign Secretary David Lammy and US counterpart Antony Blinken said they would make a joint visit to Ukraine later this week to show support for Kyiv.

On their joint mission they will listen to Kyiv’s calls for permission to use Western long-range weapons to strike Russian territory, with US President Joe Biden and Sir Keir Starmer set to discuss the issue in Washington on Friday.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy hailed the Kyiv trip as “the first of its kind in a decade”, at a press conference alongside his US counterpart on Tuesday.

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly pushed for permission to use Western missiles to strike at targets within Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

At a joint press conference with Mr Lammy, Mr Blinken said: “One of the purposes of the trip we will be taking together is to hear directly from the Ukrainian leadership including… President Zelensky about exactly how the Ukrainians see their needs in this moment, toward what objectives and what we can do to support those needs.

“All I can tell you is we will be listening intently to our Ukrainian partners, we will both be reporting back to the Prime Minister, to President Biden in the coming days and I fully anticipate this is something they will take up when they meet on Friday.”

Asked whether Ukraine would be given permission to use UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles in Russia, Mr Lammy said: “It’s hugely important that we’re travelling together to hear from our Ukrainian counterparts and President Zelensky their assessment of the situation on the ground and their needs on the ground.

“It would, however, be quite wrong to comment on the detail of operational issues in a forum such as this, because the only person who could benefit is Putin, and we will do nothing to give him any advantage in his illegal invasion.”

Mr Blinken subsequently met the Prime Minister at Lancaster House, with Sir Keir saying he was “looking forward” to discussing Ukraine and the Middle East ahead of a “crucial” period.

Meanwhile, Mr Blinken set out details of Iran’s supply of ballistic missiles to Russia, which triggered the sanctions announced on Tuesday.

The US has warned Iran that sending the weaponry to Russia to use in Ukraine would “constitute a dramatic escalation”.

“Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine against Ukrainians,” he said.

The Iranian ballistic missile system, which has a maximum range of 75 miles, allows Russia to target its arsenal further from the front line, he added.

Iran, as it has with previous US intelligence findings, has denied providing Russia with weapons for its war in Ukraine.

As part of the response the UK, along with France, Germany and Italy, is cancelling its bilateral air services arrangement with Iran, which will restrict Iran Air’s ability to fly in the UK and Europe.

Implementing the ban on Iran Air flights will take 12 months.

The UK and Washington also announced coordinated sanctions against Iranian and Russian individuals and organisations.

The UK has also sanctioned five Russian cargo ships thought to have been involved in ferrying arms.

Mr Lammy said: “Iran supplying Russia with ballistic missiles to fuel its illegal invasion of Ukraine is a significant and dangerous escalation.

“We have been clear in that any transfer of ballistic missiles by Iran would face a significant response. Today, alongside our international partners, we are calling out this behaviour and its attempts to undermine global security.

“Iran must stop supporting Putin’s unprovoked, premeditated and barbaric attack against a sovereign democratic state. The UK will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”