2 years ago
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Tehran says it ‘won’t beryllium indifferent’ if Russia is proven to person utilized its unmanned aerial vehicles successful the Ukraine conflict.
Tehran, Iran – Iran for the archetypal clip confirmed it sold drones to Russia, but said this happened “months” earlier the commencement of the warfare successful Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters aft an lawsuit successful Tehran connected Saturday, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian addressed claims by Western officials that Iranian drones were supplied to Moscow for its invasion, and that surface-to-surface missiles whitethorn besides beryllium connected the way.
“Their comments connected the missiles portion are wholly wrong, and the drones portion is correct. We gave a constricted fig of drones to Russia months and earlier the warfare successful Ukraine,” Amirabdollahian said.
Iranian officials had antecedently said connected galore occasions that Tehran had “defence” practice with Russia, but had not supplied the Kremlin with arms “for the intent of being utilized successful the warfare successful Ukraine”.
Amirabdollahian reiterated connected Saturday that Iran has not been a protagonist of either broadside successful the warfare and is acceptable to talk to Ukraine.
“We person emphasised to Ukrainian officials that if determination is grounds astir the usage of Iranian drones successful the Ukraine warfare by Russia, they should contiguous it to us,” helium said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy connected Saturday accused Iranian officials of lying.
“Even with this confession, they are lying,” the Ukrainian person said successful his regular video message.
The fig of Iranian combat drones changeable down by Ukrainian aerial defences exceeds the “few” drones cited by Iran, helium said.
“And the much Tehran lies, the much the planetary assemblage volition recognize this violent collaboration betwixt the regimes successful Russia and Iran,” helium added.
Earlier successful the day, Ukraine’s overseas ministry warned Iran of “consequences” for supporting Moscow.
“Tehran should realise that the consequences of complicity successful the crimes of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine volition beryllium overmuch greater than the payment of Russia’s support,” overseas ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko wrote connected Facebook.
‘We won’t beryllium indifferent’
According to the diplomat, an Iranian governmental and subject delegation travelled to an unnamed European state 2 weeks agone to clasp a gathering with Ukrainian counterparts, but they refused to be “at the 11th hour” arsenic a effect of unit from the United States and Europe, particularly Germany.
“They had told the Ukrainian broadside that we privation to authorisation Iran for the contented of drones, and present you privation to enactment successful a gathering with the Iranians successful Europe and portion java with them,” helium said.
Amirabdollahian said Iran inactive expects Ukraine to contiguous the grounds successful the coming days and “if it is proven to america that Russia has utilized Iranian drones successful the Ukraine war, we won’t beryllium indifferent to it.”
The US and the European Union person imposed sanctions connected a fig of Iranian entities and officials implicit the drone income to Russia, arsenic Ukrainian officials person repeatedly condemned Tehran and downgraded diplomatic ties.
Moscow has said the unmanned aerial vehicles it utilized successful the warfare person been Russian-made, and has warned the United Nations against investigating its usage of drones successful Ukraine.
Iran has besides denounced efforts by the West to usage UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which underpins its 2015 atomic woody with satellite powers, to punctual the UN to analyse the issue.
English (US)