The Wagner militia, at the request of Russian authorities, is “preparing to deliver an air defense system to either Hezbollah or Iran,” a White House spokesman said on Tuesday, according to AFP.

“We stand ready to apply our counterterrorism sanctions regime against Russian individuals or entities” in response, said John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council.

For its part, Iran “may be preparing to take another step” regarding military aid to Russia, he said.

In addition to the drones and other equipment that Washington says it already provides to the Russian military, “Iran is considering the delivery of ballistic missiles that Russia could use in Ukraine,” the spokesman added.

The pro-Iranian Lebanese movement Hezbollah carried out a series of attacks on the Israeli army amid the war between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The United States has been warning for several months about the deepening of military relations between Moscow and Tehran.

This cooperation “clearly harms Ukraine, Iran’s neighbors and the international order,” said John Kirby.

In September, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu paid an official visit to Iran, which was then described as an “important step” for military cooperation between the two countries.

Moscow and Tehran are subject to international sanctions that restrict trade. Over the past year, the two countries have established close ties in several sectors.