During an interview on CBS News’ “Face The Nation” over the weekend, former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster warned that Iran is supporting Russia’s “war-making machine.”
“I want to ask you, from a military perspective, we heard the CIA director describe a ‘full-fledged military partnership’ between Russia and Iran. What does this look like?” CBS News’ Margaret Brennan asked McMaster.
“Well, I think where it heads next is support for Russia’s war-making machine more broadly,” McMaster responded. “I think you’re going to see missiles. You already have reports of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps trainers and assemblers of these drones. And I think what we’re recognizing is these problem sets that we’re facing with the theocratic dictatorship in Iran, and- and the revanchist hyper-nationalist Putin. They’re connected to each other, and they’re connected to China, which of course, also has just doubled down on — on his relationship, Xi Jinping, his relationship with Vladimir Putin and support for Putin.”
“So I, I think we are hopefully now in full recognition that we are in really consequential competitions with authoritarian regimes who are hostile to us, and- and we have to respond much more effectively than we responded in the past,” he continued. “And that’s a broad range of I think, preparations for potential military conflicts where we can deter a widening of war, but there’s also very significant economic and diplomatic aspects of these interconnected problems.”
McMaster’s comments come amid reports that Iran has been manufacturing and delivering drones to Russia for use in its invasion of Ukraine.
“Since the invasion of Ukraine, Iran has become Russia’s top military supporter, selling several hundred UAVs to Moscow since August alone. Russia has used these drones to attack Ukraine’s energy and critical infrastructure in strikes that have killed civilians,” NBC News reported, citing senior Biden administration officials.
“The U.S. believes Iran is considering the sale of hundreds of ballistic missiles to Russia, the senior administration officials said. And they expect Iranian support for the Russian military to continue to grow in the coming months,” NBC News added.
