Biden Hints End To ATACMS Strike Limit After Iran Sends Missiles To Russia

Iran's provision of missiles to Ukraine may have triggered an unintended consequence: the end on restrictions against using US and UK ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles against targets further inside Russia, potentially bringing much of Russia's Air Force within range. 

President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and their British counterparts are all hinting strongly that the ban on such use could end as soon as tomorrow. JL

Howard Altman reports in The Drive Warzone:

The Biden administration leaving the door open to allow Ukraine to use ATACMS in Russia. There has been talk that Iran’s provision of ballistic missiles to Russia would spur the administration to change its ATACMS policy. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul said “I talked to Blinken two days ago, and he is traveling with his counterpart from the UK to Kyiv to tell them that they will allow them [to hit Russia with ATACMS]”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will tell Ukraine it can use U.S.-produced Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missiles inside Russia, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said.

 

“I talked to Blinken two days ago, and he is traveling with his counterpart from the UK [Foreign Secretary David Lammy] to Kyiv to basically tell them that they will allow them [to hit Russia with ATACMS]” Michael McCaul (R-Texas) told Axios reporter Juliegrace Brufke on Friday. Brufke tweeted the comment on Tuesday.

The statement is accurate according to a McCaul/House Foreign Affairs Committee aide.

“The chairman said that at the Tribune Fest” in Texas, the aide confirmed to The War Zone Tuesday morning.

So far, the Biden administration has prohibited Ukraine from using ATACMS – which have a range of nearly 200 miles depending on the variant -inside Russia. Likewise, the U.K. will not allow Ukraine to use donated Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles in Russia.

Blinken was asked during a Tuesday media briefing about whether the Biden administration will change its ATACMS policy.

 

“So all I can tell you is we’ll be listening intently to our Ukrainian partners,” he said. “We’ll both be reporting back to the prime minister, to President Biden in the coming days. And I fully anticipate this is something they’ll take up when they meet on Friday.”

 

Blinken hinted at the Biden administration leaving the door open to allow Ukraine to use ATACMS in Russia.

“So I think a hallmark from day one of our efforts to support Ukraine against this aggression is to work to make sure that they have what they need when they need it to be most effective in dealing with the Russian aggression,” he said. “And I think that you’ve seen – again from day one – that we have continuously adjusted and adapted based on the battlefield conditions, based on what Russia was doing in a given place and by given means. And that’s been a through-line in everything that we’ve done.”

However, a U.S. official told The War Zone that “there is no change to our policy governing the use of ATACMS.”

 

U.K. MoD officials took a similar stance.

“There has been no change in the U.K.’s position” regarding Storm Shadows, an MoD official told The War Zone Tuesday morning. “We have been providing military aid to support Ukraine’s clear right of self-defense against Russia’s illegal attacks in accordance with international humanitarian law. We are clear that equipment provided by the U.K. is intended for the defense of Ukraine.”

So far, the U.K. has prohibited Ukraine from using its Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles inside Russia. (Twitter screencap) Screencap via X

The Biden administration has allowed Ukraine to use Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) munitions fired by the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS and the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) provided to Ukraine. They have a range of up to about 50 miles.

Unlike the U.S. and Ukraine, the Netherlands announced that it has no such preclusions.

 

Ukraine can strike anywhere in Russia using weapons provided by the Netherlands, that nation’s defense minister said, according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Ruben Brekelmans said permission to strike inside Russia includes the use of the F-16 Vipers the Netherlands is providing to Ukraine and called on other Western countries to lift restrictions on the use of weapons they supply to Ukraine.

“Ukraine has the right to self-defense,” he said. “If the country is attacked from border areas or Russian airfields, it can target [those] military objects.”

Brekelmans added that this also applies to enemy missiles, which can be intercepted by Dutch weapons over Russia.

 

There has been talk that Iran’s provision of ballistic missiles to Russia would spur the administration to change its ATACMS policy.

Blinken on Tuesday became the latest U.S. official to confirm Russia has received those weapons.

“We’ve warned Tehran publicly, we’ve warned Tehran privately, that taking this step would be a dangerous escalation,” Blinken said. “Dozens of Russian military personnel have been trained in Iran to use the Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile system, which has a maximum range of 75 miles. Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine against Ukrainians.”

In response to Iran providing Russia with ballistic missiles, the U.S., and U.K. issued a wide range of new sanctions. The U.S. State Department sanctioned Iran Air as well as several Russian shipping companies it says are involved in brining in drone-related equipment from Iran. The U.K also issued sanctions against Iran Air as well as Iranian and Russian military leaders and units as well as businesses.

In addition to three Iranian generals associated with the drone and missile forces, the sanctions hit the Command of the Military Transport Aviation (VTA), the 924th State Centre for Unmanned Aviation, and the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS).

 

“The U.K. government is today announcing new and significant measures against Iran and Russia, following the Iranian regime’s transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia for use on the battlefield in Ukraine,” London announced. “This follows repeated warnings from the UK and international partners calling on Iran to cease its planned transfer of the deadly weapons to Russia, whose intent is to cause further humanitarian devastation and loss of life in Ukraine.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned the temporary charge d’affaires of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Ukraine Shahryar Amuzeghar to express “deep concern” about the Iranian missiles.

“The relevant comment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine dated September 7 was handed over to the Iranian diplomat, with a stern warning that confirmation of Iran’s supply of ballistic weapons to the aggressor state would have devastating and irreparable consequences for Ukrainian-Iranian bilateral relations,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Telegram.

Iranian officials on Monday pushed back on those claims.

“No missile was sent to Russia and this claim is a kind of psychological warfare,” said deputy commander of the Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters, Brigadier Fazlollah Nozari, Reuters reported, citing the Iranian Labour News Agency.