Iran's FM denies ballistic missile transfers to Russia
3 Min Read
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson underscores that since the beginning, Iran has not been involved in the war in Ukraine or its continuation.
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Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in Tehran, Iran, August 26, 2024. (AP)
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated that the Islamic Republic has not supplied ballistic missiles to Russia, emphasizing that military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow predates the Ukraine war.
In a post on X, Araghchi rejected Western accusations against Iran regarding the war in Ukraine. He mentioned his discussions with European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and deputy foreign policy chief Enrique Mora in New York, where he addressed this issue.
"The military cooperation between Iran and Russia is not new; has a history, long before the Ukrainian crisis began," he stated.
Araghchi also pointed out that "some Europeans have provided the Israeli regime with all kinds of sophisticated weapons, and anxiously engaged in military operations against Iran."
He criticized the US for its ongoing "Maximum Pressure" policy and noted that the European business community fully complies with OFAC instructions.
Araghchi emphasized, "I clearly said, and reiterate once again: we've NOT provided ballistic missiles to Russia. If Europe needs a case to appease Israel's blackmail, better find another story."
Not an isolated incident
Iran advocates for a political solution to resolve the disputes between Russia and Ukraine and bring an end to the military conflict, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani reiterated last month.
"As it has been emphasized many times, the Islamic Republic of Iran, while opposing the war, supports the political solution to resolve the disputes between Russia and Ukraine and end the military conflicts," Kanaani told IRNA.
At the time, he underscored that since the beginning, Iran has not been involved in the war in Ukraine or its continuation, adding that Tehran has consistently supported a political resolution and bilateral negotiations to bring the crisis to an end.
The Iranian diplomat affirmed that his country's principled stance on the Ukraine crisis remains unchanged, slamming the repeated claims of ballistic missile transfers to Russia as politically driven and entirely unfounded.
"The conventional military cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation has a history much older than the start of the Ukrainian war," Kanaani said.
The spokesperson explained that "these cooperations are within the framework of bilateral agreements and based on international norms and laws and have nothing to do with the Ukraine crisis."
Iran has consistently denied accusations of providing military support to Russia amid the war in Ukraine. Numerous allegations have been raised against Iran, with Washington claiming that Tehran was supplying Moscow with drones for use in the war.
Most recently, Iran was accused of training Russian military personnel in Ukraine, a claim dismissed by Kanaani in late August.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson pointed out that "such baseless claims are made with specific political goals and motives, and such accusations on the stance of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the conflict in Ukraine are contradictory."
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