TEHRAN – After multiple failed counteroffensives, Ukrainian forces managed to embarrass Russia with their August incursion of Kursk which remains ongoing. However, it seems that the move is unlikely to bleed Moscow or deal a serious blow to it. With that, the West is left to find a culprit for its lost war in Ukraine, and its eyes have once again landed on Iran. 

The Wall Street Journal claimed on Friday that Iran has sent hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the Ukraine war. The American outlet did not provide any evidence for its claims and only cited unidentified “American and European officials” to back its claims. it noted that the alleged weapons delivery has happened despite “stern warnings from the West”, asking Iran not to arm Russians. The report came less than a month after the paper assessed that ties between Iran and Russia are “being strained”, partly due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York was quick to refute the unsubstantiated claims. "Iran considers the provision of military assistance to the parties engaged in the conflict - which leads to increased human casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and a distancing from ceasefire negotiations - to be inhumane," it said on Friday, adding, "Thus, not only does Iran abstain from engaging in such actions itself, but it also calls upon other countries to cease the supply of weapons to the sides involved in the conflict.”

As for the Americans, officials in the White House seemed to be hesitant to confidently confirm the WSJ’s report. National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said Washington is “alarmed” by the reports it is receiving on Iran’s alleged weapons transfer to Russia, while CIA director William  Burns told the Financial Times in London that he is concerned, but cannot comment on whether he believes Tehran has actually given Moscow ballistic missiles. 

This is not the first time that charges have been made against Iran regarding the Ukraine war. Western and Ukrainian officials have repeatedly accused the West Asian country of providing Kamikaze drones to Russia, an alleged move they believe has significantly helped Moscow in its war efforts. 

No evidence has been presented to anyone, including Iran itself, regarding Tehran’s alleged provision of drones to Russia. Former U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley even claimed that Iran has military personnel stationed in Ukraine to help Russians use the drones. Those big claims were never supported by evidence either. 

In fact, the West and Kyiv, have actively refused to engage in any sort of interaction to prove how they have concluded Tehran is arming Russia. According to the late Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, shortly after Ukrainians and their Western patrons made the drone claims, Zelensky scuppered talks scheduled to discuss the allegations with Iranians. 
It is hard to figure out why the West is so fixated on pointing the finger of blame at Iran. After all, with or without foreign weapons, it is expected that Russia will eventually win the war.  Bit by bit, Ukraine is collapsing, and no amount of anti-Iran rhetoric will alter that outcome.

Western hypocrisy on full display

The West's accusations against Iran, and its outrage over alleged Iranian weapons transfers to Russia, raise a fundamental question: why is the West free to supply billions of dollars in weapons to Kyiv for use against Moscow, while no other country should be able to do the same for Russia? How is trade between two sovereign nations any concern of the West?

The West's complicity in the ongoing Gaza war and its unwavering support for the Israeli regime have amplified these questions. How can Europe and the U.S. openly fund a genocide and show no remorse, while simultaneously criticizing others for allegedly aiding their rivals?

These unanswered questions make the Western narrative harder and harder to sell. The crisis in Ukraine is ongoing because Westerners have been obstructing peace efforts and supplying Kyiv with growingly deadlier and more sophisticated weapons. Iran, China, North Korea, or any other country does not play a major role here, even if, in an unlikely scenario, Western accusations against them are one day proved to be true.