Iran refutes claims to support Russia in its war with Ukraine
Cape Town, The Gulf Observer: Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has refuted claims that his country is supporting Russia in its war with Ukraine, stressing that the Islamic Republic stands with no side in that conflict and continues to support a political solution.
Kyiv and its Western allies have for months been accusing Iran of providing Russia with drones to use against Ukraine.
Amirabdollahian on Thursday dismissed those accusations as unfounded and said that Ukraine has provided no evidence to back its claims.
I discussed the issue with my Ukrainian counterpart several times and Iran even agreed that military delegations from the two countries hold a meeting, the Iranian foreign minister said during a joint press conference with his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor in Pretoria where he is visiting for the Joint Cooperation Commission of the two countries.
According to Amirabdollahian, military delegates from Iran and Ukraine met in Oman seven months ago, “but the Ukrainian side provided no valid evidence,” he noted.
In addition, he added, Russian officials have assured Iran that Moscow will never use Iranian military equipment – provided to Russia within the bilateral defense cooperation framework – against Ukraine.
Elsewhere in the presser, the Iranian foreign minister spoke about the 2015 nuclear deal, reiterating that Tehran has remained committed to the international accord and never abandoned diplomacy to resolve a standoff with the West over the revival of the deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The standoff broke out in 2018 when the US unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA, reinstated sanctions on the Islamic Republic, and put additional restrictive measures on it.
Amirabdollahian described those sanctions as unilateral and unlawful and said that Iran will welcome any initiative for all sides to “return to their commitments” if the other side is determined to do so.
He also said that with those sanctions existing, Iran and South Africa can use the various opportunities they have to further boost bilateral cooperation.
