"The German paper Welt am Sonntag reported on Sunday that the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia used a smuggling route for the transport of offensive weapons allegedly in violation of UN resolution 2231 imposing restrictions on Iran's military activities.
The large broadsheet paper cited 'Western intelligence services' for the claim that Iran delivered 'offensive weapons systems' to Russia via a military airbase in Syria.
'In June, two airplanes from Iran flew directly to the Khmeimim air base - the most important Russian military base in Syria - in order to bring military equipment for transport to Russia,' the paper said...
The role of Russia in the alleged smuggling operation is an eye-opening disclosure. Russia was part of the P5+1 group of world powers that sealed a nuclear deal with Iran in 2015. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear accord (JCPOA) imposed restrictions on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for significant sanctions relief. The United Nations Security Council resolution 2231 was passed in 2015 as part of the nuclear deal's architecture to restrict Iran's missile and arms-related activities.
The Jerusalem Post reported last month on Iran's illicit nuclear and missile weapons procurement activities in Germany during 2016. According to the German state of Hamburg's intelligence agency: 'there is no evidence of a complete about-face in Iran's atomic polices in 2016 [after the Islamic Republic signed the JCPOA accord with world powers in 2015, designed to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief]. Iran sought missile carrier technology necessary for its rocket program.'
An intelligence report from the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg stated, 'Regardless of the number of national and international sanctions and embargoes, countries like Iran, Pakistan and North Korea are making efforts to optimize corresponding technology.'
According to the Baden-Württemberg report, Iran sought 'products and scientific know-how for the field of developing weapons of mass destruction as well as missile technology.' The 181-page document cites Iran's illicit cyber-ware, espionage, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction procurement activities 49 times..."