Iran summons UK, France, Dutch envoys over missiles to Russia claims
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi slams these allegations and labeles them as false.
Iran's Foreign Ministry has summoned the ambassadors of the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and Germany following allegations that Tehran supplied ballistic missiles to Russia, according to a report by Iran's Mizan news agency on Thursday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has slammed these allegations, labeling them as false.
The diplomatic move comes after a joint statement by Germany, the UK, and France on Tuesday, where the three countries threatened Iran with new sanctions, including the potential cancellation of bilateral air service agreements.
Read more: Iran vows reciprocal measures against UK, France, Germany sanctions
The Islamic Republic 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. However, no evidence was put forward to back any of the claims.
The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani reiterated last Sunday that Iran advocates for a political solution to resolve the disputes between Russia and Ukraine and bring an end to the military conflict.
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Kanaani diplomat slammed the repeated allegations of ballistic missile transfers to Russia as politically driven and entirely unfounded, emphasizing that military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow has "a history much older than the start of the Ukrainian war."
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."
'Political agendas'
His statements echoed those of Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani, who strongly rejected last Thursday the allegations made by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France regarding alleged Iranian arms sales and transfers to Russia.
Iravani pointed out that the representatives of France and the UK made false allegations under UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015), while the US representative not only reiterated those claims but also accused Iran of supporting terrorism.
He argued that the US is the "chief sponsor of terrorism in the region and the world," adding that these allegations were merely a reflection of the "narrow and short-sighted political agendas" of the three permanent council members, aimed at advancing their political interests.
"It is laughable that three countries, which are directly involved in the Ukraine war and actively fueling the conflict, would brazenly accuse the Islamic Republic of intervening in the war," the diplomat said, reaffirming Tehran’s commitment to adhering to international humanitarian law.