Russia has secretly helped Iran develop supersonic cruise missiles that could pose a threat to American warships in the Middle East.
The transfer of such military technology to Tehran would have required approval at the highest levels of the Kremlin, according to experts cited by the Financial Times, as reported by The Telegraph.
The program, named "C340L," began in 2023 and continued throughout the US-Iran war, raising the possibility of American aircraft carriers and other warships being targeted.
The project's goal is for Iran to develop a ramjet propulsion system - a type of engine that can enable a cruise missile to reach speeds faster than the speed of sound.
"For the Iranians, this would mean acquiring a completely new strategic armament system capable of threatening US naval vessels," said Jim Lamson, a former CIA military analyst.
Supersonic cruise missiles are particularly difficult to intercept. They can fly at very low altitudes, using terrain to hide from radars, while reaching speeds of up to 2,200 miles per hour, approximately 3,540 km/h.
Iran has already built and tested a ramjet propulsion system, but there is no evidence that it has been used in military operations.
"This involves the transfer of extremely sensitive military technology from Russia, which the Iranians have been trying to obtain for decades," said Fabian Hinz, an expert on Iranian missiles.
"A program of this kind would require political approval at the highest level in Russia."
Military Cooperation between Moscow and Tehran
Cooperation between the two countries has intensified in recent years. The Iranian regime provided Russia with Shahed drones, used by Moscow in nighttime attacks on Ukrainian cities.
In turn, Russia is said to have provided Iran with intelligence information that allows Tehran to target American bases in the Middle East.
This cooperation "shows that Russia is trying to expand the war in Ukraine and draw the United States into other theaters of operation," said Nicole Grajewski, a professor at Sciences Po in Paris.
"Russia doesn't care as much about the red lines in the region," she added.
According to available information, the C340L program was facilitated by Rosoboronexport, the Russian state company specialized in arms exports. It reportedly coordinated the project with NPO Mashinostroyenia, a Russian missile producer under US sanctions since 2014.
By 2025, NPO Mashinostroyenia had reportedly received a significant amount of technical materials related to the ramjet propulsion system from Iran.
Russian engineers analyzed data from a flight test conducted by Iran and sent a detailed list of questions regarding the system's performance.
The program benefited from the expertise of some of NPO Mashinostroyenia's most experienced missile engineers. Some of them reportedly traveled to Iran before the contract was signed in 2023.
Putin Promises Support to Iran
Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, on Tuesday that Moscow is "trying to provide the help you need in this difficult period" and is supplying Iran with "the goods you need" during the war.
Meanwhile, tensions between the US and Iran have escalated since the weekend, following a period of reduced fighting for over a month.
On Sunday, the US military targeted two Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz. New American attacks took place on Tuesday.
Iran responded by launching drones and missiles at American targets.
If the information about the C340L program is confirmed, Russian-Iranian cooperation could mark a new level of military technology transfer between the two countries and could eventually provide Tehran with an additional capability to threaten US naval forces in the region.