Ukrainian intelligence service has recently revealed that four two Iranian nationals tried to buy parts of an advanced missile in Kyiv earlier in January, in an attempt to violate the UN arms embargo on Iran, The Daily Beast reported on Friday.



Masked men in Ukraine’s secret police arrested the men and found parts of the missile in their vehicle, according to the spokesperson of Ukrainian intelligence service. Both men were detained and then quietly deported to Iran.



Head of Ukraine’s intelligence service Vasyl Hrytsak described the incident to US government officials during a recent trip to Washington.



The attempt as alleged by Ukrainian intelligence sources shows that Iran may intend to procure weapons that would let it make the Persian Gulf more dangerous than ever.



Hrytsak told the American officials that the Iranians tried to procure X-31 anti-ship missile components, produced in Ukraine. “X-31” can also be rendered as a Kh-31 missile, depending on how you transliterate the Cyrillic.



Officers from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) arrested the men when they were in possession of parts of the missile as well as technical documents related to its use.



One of the men, according to Hrytsak, is named Abdi Biyan, used to be the military attache at Iran’s embassy in Kyiv.



The Kh-31 is a Russian-designed anti-ship weapon that can fly along the surface of the sea at supersonic speeds.