Iran Slams West for “Unrestrained” Arms Delivery to Ukraine
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - The "unrestrained" delivery of American and European weapons to Ukraine has exacerbated the situation in the country, the Iranian foreign minister said Thursday.
Hossein Amirabdollahian made the remarks during a phone discussion with his Finnish colleague, Pekka Haavisto, during which the two discussed bilateral relations as well as the recent developments in Iran.
The Iranian top diplomat also expressed the Islamic Republic’s opposition to the continuation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Iran believes that “the uncontrolled shipment of US and European arms to Ukraine has further complicated the situation” in the country, the diplomat told Pekka Haavisto, according to a readout of the call released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Pointing to the Tehran visit by the Finnish foreign minister earlier in February, Amirabdollahian said the relations between the two countries are on the right track.
The Iranian minister also updated Haavisto on the most recent developments in the negotiations to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a 2015 nuclear agreement (JCPOA).
Haavisto, for his part, thanked his Iranian colleague for updating him on the discussions' most recent developments and stated that his nation supported the JCPOA being reinstated.
In recent months, Kiev and Western countries have accused Iran of providing Russia with weaponry, including military drones. Tehran has on numerous occasions said it is not involved in the hostilities in any way and has not supplied Moscow with drones to be used on the battlefield.
“Iran has not sent and nor will it send any weapons to Russia to use in the Ukraine war, because Iranian officials believe that there should be a political solution to that crisis,” Amirabdollahian said in October.
In early November, however, the minister acknowledged that Iran had sent a “small number” of drones to Russia, but explained that the shipment took place several months before large-scale fighting in Ukraine broke out.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said all weapons used by Russian troops in Ukraine come from domestic stockpiles.
Moscow has repeatedly warned the West against pumping Kiev with weapons, arguing that this would only prolong the hostilities.