Leaked documents revealed that Moscow secretly agreed to supply Iran with thousands of shoulder-fired missiles as part of an effort to revamp the country’s air defences following the losses Tehran suffered during the 12-Day war in 2025.
The Financial Times reported Russia signed an agreement with Iran in December 2025 to supply Tehran with 500 man-portable ‘Verba’ launch units and 2,500 9M336 missiles over the course of three years, based on documents that the outlet reviewed.
Several individuals familiar with the deal also spoke with the Financial Times about the arms deal. According to the report, the contract is worth €495 million (about $583 million) and was inked months after the war that crippled Iran’s air defence network.
The new reports come just as the United States has amassed a new armada of naval vessels and hundreds of military aircraft in the Middle East for a potential second strike against Iran unless Tehran cuts a new nuclear deal with the United States.
Tehran reportedly requested the man-portable air defence systems in July, according to the documents reviewed by the Financial Times. The request was made in the days after the end of the 12-Day War that saw Israel and the United States bombard Iran from the air.
The Financial Times noted that the campaign saw Iran’s integrated air defence network suffer heavy degradation, which eventually allowed enemy air assets to establish and sustain air superiority over much of the country during the brief conflict.
Whether some of the Russian Verba systems have already been delivered to Iran is still unclear. One source told the Financial Times some of the systems might have already been delivered, but information in the leaked documents detailed a much later timeline for delivery of the launchers and missiles.
Deliveries of the Verba systems and missiles were originally set to unfold in three tranches ranging from 2027 to 2029. However, in light of the threat that the United States now poses to Iran, it is possible some of the weapons could have been delivered earlier.
The Financial Times noted that Iran’s ambassador to Moscow appeared to confirm that the country had received several cargo flights from Russia in recent weeks. These may have contained Verba systems and other weapons to help Iran in a future fight.
At least one Russian Ilyushin Il-76TD reportedly made three separate cargo runs to the Iranian city of Karaj from the North Caucasus town of Mineralnye Vody in the eight days before February 22nd, which was when the Financial Times published its report on what it discovered.
An Il-76 also reportedly flew from Mineralnye Vody to Iran in December 2025, according to the Financial Times. The outlet noted that Tehran had received upward of six Russian Mi-28 attack helicopters in January 2026.
Despite the alleged cargo activity, there is no conclusive evidence that Iran currently fields any of the that it bought from Russia. However, if Tehran did receive some of these weapons, they could prove to be invaluable during a future American attack on Iran.
According to Militarnyi, the Verba is a man-portable air defence system (MANPADS) that was designed to engage a range of air assets, including aircraft, helicopters, and some unmanned aerial vehicles at low altitudes.
Daily Mail