Israeli public broadcaster Kan reports that a secret plan approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin involved Russian engineers assisting Iran in developing a cruise missile capable of evading missile defenses and striking U.S. aircraft carriers. The report follows The Zioneer's investigation Wednesday, which revealed a covert Russian program (C430L) providing supersonic cruise missile technology to Tehran.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported Wednesday evening that a secret program personally approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin involved Russian engineers developing a cruise missile for Iran with the stated capability to evade missile defenses and strike U.S. aircraft carriers. The report did not name specific engineers, provide dates, or mention a program codename.
The Zioneer revealed Tuesday night (Sep 1, 23:32 Jerusalem), in an investigation supported by leaked correspondence and travel records, that Russia had operated a covert military-technical program codenamed C430L from 2023 through mid-2026. Under that program, senior engineers from Russia's state missile design bureau NPO Mashinostroyeniya transferred ramjet propulsion technology to Iran, enabling supersonic cruise missile development. The Kan report appears to describe a related or identical effort with explicit mention of Putin's personal authorization.
The report adds to a growing body of evidence of deepening Russian military-technical cooperation with Iran. The Wall Street Journal reported July 19, citing American officials, that Iran may be receiving targeting assistance from Russia or China. N12 analyst Asaf Rosenzweig reported early Wednesday that Russia was providing Iran with the advanced "Regiment" propulsion system, with documents dating to June 2026. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated in the Senate on July 22 that Russia and China enable Iran's combat operations, as The Zioneer reported at the time.
The Kan report's specific claims could not be independently verified. No operational deployment of such a carrier-killing cruise missile has been confirmed, and it remains unclear whether the program Kan described is identical to C430L or a separate effort.
2 developments
- DevelopingFinancial Times reveals secret Russian program aiding Iran's ramjet missile development
- DevelopingPutin reportedly approved secret Chinese training of Russian troops in CBRN warfare
- DevelopingOvernight: Security assessment reports Iranian cruise missile attack
- DevelopingN12 Analyst: Russia Assisting Iran with Advanced 'Regiment' Propulsion System for Missiles
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