Iran’s FM: Tehran sent limited number of drones to Russia months before Ukraine war

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has dismissed media controversy over Iran’s alleged support for Russia in the Ukraine war, assuring that Iran will not be indifferent if it is proven that Russia has used Iranian drones in the conflict.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Amir-Abdollahian once again rejected claims that Iran has provided Russia with missiles and drones to be used in the Ukraine war.

“Our relations with Russia are based on neighborhood and mutual interests. I would like to emphasize here that the fuss made by some western countries that Iran has provided Russia with missiles and drones to help it in the Ukraine war, claims about the missile part is completely wrong and the drone part is correct,” he said.

But he hastened to add that Iran has provided Russia with a limited number of drones months before the war in Ukraine.

“We agreed with Ukraine’s foreign minister that if they have any documents proving Russia has been using Iranian drones in Ukraine, Kiev should provide these documents to us,” he explained.

The Iranian foreign minister also revealed that Iranian and Ukrainian officials were supposed to meet two weeks ago, as an Iranian defense and political delegation went to a European country to meet the Ukraine delegation.

He said that unfortunately, Kiev made a last-minute decision not to attend the meeting.

“The reason was that the US and some European countries, especially Germany, told Ukraine that while we [West] want to use the drones issue against Iran, you want to drink coffee together in a European country!” he added.

Tehran has multiple times rejected in the strongest terms the Western claims of Iran’s delivery of weapons and drones to Russia to be used against Ukraine, saying the country has had defense cooperation with Moscow for long and pursues a resolution of the conflict through dialog and diplomacy.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has made many efforts with the aim of ending the Ukraine war, Amir-Abdollahian assured. “Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, these efforts have been made at the level of the presidential and foreign ministry levels, and Iran will continue these efforts until the war in Ukraine stops,” he added.

Touching on the nuclear deal, Amir-Abdollahian called on the US to show genuine resolve and goodwill in the talks without looking for an excuse for the breach of its commitments.

He reassured Iran’s firm determination to restore its absolute right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in all forms, including uranium enrichment, while reiterating that Tehran is committed to the continuation of talks on the revival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with goodwill and on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

The top diplomat emphasized that the purpose of the nuclear talks must be a strong commitment by all parties to the full implementation of their undertakings under the JCPOA.

Elsewhere in his comments, Amir-Abdollahian noted that producing and publishing disinformation and misleading news on the internet against nations and governments is in complete contradiction to the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter.

Touching on the ongoing Israeli aggressions in occupied Palestine, the Iranian FM stressed that “undoubtedly, the most important violator of international law and which causes destruction and killing in the region is the Israeli regime.”

“Occupying Palestine and parts of the lands of other Arab countries and depriving the oppressed Palestinian people of their inalienable and inherent rights, violating and disregarding the resolutions issued by various international organizations including the United Nations are among the illegal actions that this regime has carried out since its formation until now.”

He underscored that governments and international organizations cannot and should not remain silent in face of a regime that repeatedly and continuously commits major international crimes.

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