The U.S. on Tuesday confirmed that Iran has provided Russia with short-range ballistic missiles, warning they “will likely be used within weeks in Ukraine.”

“The provision of Iranian missiles enables Russia to use more of its arsenal for targets further from the front line, while dedicating new missiles it’s receiving from Iran [for] closer range targets,” Blinken stated while speaking alongside British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during a trip to London.

Blinken pledged that Tehran would face consequences for the transfer of ballistic weapons and said the U.S. would be announcing additional sanctions against Iran later on Tuesday. 

“There will be significant economic consequences for Iran’s actions,” he said, adding that European allies were expected to announce their own sanctions against Tehran shortly.

Reports first emerged on Monday showing that the European Union and its allied partners had received “credible” information that Moscow was receiving the weaponry from its Middle Eastern ally despite warnings from the U.S. and NATO. 

“This development and the growing cooperation between Russia and Iran threatens European security and demonstrates how Iran’s decentralized influence reaches far beyond the Middle East,” Blinken said. 

The secretary said in areas of major geopolitical concern, including on nuclear development and space-based technology. 

The nuclear watchdog for the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on Monday warned that Iran has continued to develop its nuclear program unchecked for the last three and half years and increased its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium to levels of 60% purity – just shy of weapons-grade uranium, which is achieved with 90% purity levels. 

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said he urged new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian – who has expressed an interest in working with Western nations to alleviate sanctions for Iran – to meet with him in the “not to distant future” to establish a “constructive dialogue.”

However, Blinken on Tuesday warned that aiding Russia in its deadly war against Ukraine will have crippling consequences for Tehran.

“Iran’s new president and foreign minister have repeatedly said that they want to restore engagement with Europe,” Blinken told reporters Tuesday. “They want to receive sanctions relief. Destabilizing actions like these will achieve exactly the opposite.”

According to Reuters’ reporting, Germany, France and the U.K. have “strongly condemned” Iran’s supply of ballistic missiles to Russia, though no specific sanctions have been announced.