Iran to respond appropriately to Kiev reducing diplomatic missions

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The Iranian Foreign Ministry expressed on Saturday its regret for Ukraine's announcement to reduce diplomatic ties with Tehran.

"We regret the Ukrainian government's decision regarding diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the decision is based on false reports," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said.

"We will respond with the appropriate measures to the Ukrainian government's decision, and we advise the government of this country to avoid being influenced by third parties that seek to destroy relations between the two countries," Kanaani added.

Kanaani stressed that "in reference to the clear policy of neutrality of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, we affirm our country's opposition to the war and the need to settle disputes diplomatically, away from violence."

Ukraine said on Friday it was reducing Iran's diplomatic presence in the country, claiming that Tehran has been supplying Russia with weapons to use against Kiev's forces. 

The temporary charge d'affaires of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Ukraine was summoned" over the issue, Ukraine's foreign ministry said.

A ministry statement said Tehran's alleged supply of weapons to Russia "directly contradicts the position of neutrality, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine" and was "an unfriendly act that deals a serious blow to Ukraine-Iran relations."

"In response to such an unfriendly act, the Ukrainian side decided to deprive the ambassador of Iran in Ukraine of accreditation, as well as to significantly reduce the number of diplomatic personnel of the Iranian embassy in Kiev", the ministry added.

This comes after an article was released in April 12 by The Guardian, titled "Russia using weapons smuggled by Iran from Iraq against Ukraine,” wherein the daily claimed that Russia is receiving weapons shipments sourced from Iraq by Iran for the war in Ukraine.

However, Russia's Embassy in Tehran issued a statement in response, saying that the information released about weapons shipments from Iran to Russia is "unrealistic and baseless storytelling."

To add, an Israeli arms manufacturing company has decided, according to a Ukrainian media report released on Friday, to supply Kiev with air defense systems to counter Iranian-manufactured drones, which claimed by the US that Russia has obtained.

A few days ago, Israeli media reported that Israeli security industry companies had supplied the Ukrainian army with anti-drone systems, capable of intercepting and jamming the action of combat drones.

It is reported that Western countries, led by the United States of America, Britain and the NATO alliance, continue to supply Kiev with advanced weapons in order to falre up the war in Ukraine.

Read: Ukraine announces more hefty weapons shipment to be expected from US