Russia has allegedly been secretly helping Iran develop technology for a supersonic cruise missile capable of being used against ships and land targets, according to a Financial Times (FT) report.
The programme, reportedly codenamed C430L, began in 2023 and was arranged by Russia’s state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport in cooperation with NPO Mashinostroyenia, a Russian defence company sanctioned by the United States.
According to documents and information cited by FT, Russian arms export officials and senior engineers from NPO Mashinostroyenia made several trips to Iran throughout 2023.
Those involved reportedly included specialists in missile design, supersonic propulsion systems, aerodynamics and ballistics.
FT reported that Rosoboronexport senior official Vladislav Kuzmichev was among those who travelled to Iran and later took part in negotiations with Tehran over the C430L contract.
By 2025, NPO Mashinostroyenia was allegedly receiving technical materials from Iran for analysis by its engineers.
Documents reviewed by FT in April 2025 also reportedly showed Rosoboronexport proposing to send a team of Russian specialists to Iran to help address technical issues linked to the programme.
Fabian Hinz, an Iranian missile expert with Conflict Armament Research, said the transfer of weapons technology involved more than simply sending blueprints or components.
According to Hinz, the expertise and experience of senior engineers sent to help resolve technical problems can also hold significant value in the development of weapons systems.
The report comes as relations between Moscow and Tehran continue to deepen.
On Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscow’s support for Tehran during a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Putin said Russia would continue providing Iran with the assistance it needed while maintaining economic and trade ties despite the current military and political circumstances.
Pezeshkian also said Iran and Russia would seek ways to overcome US sanctions through multilateral cooperation.
