FILE – This undated photograph released by the Ukrainian military’s Strategic Communications Directorate shows the wreckage of what Kiev claims is an Iranian Shahed drone downed near Kupiansk, Ukraine. (Photo credit: Ukrainian military’s Strategic Communications Directorate via AP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian revealed on 24 October that Tehran has offered to hold a joint meeting between Iranian and Ukrainian military personnel and experts to review any battlefield evidence of Iranian drones used by Russia in Ukraine.
He reportedly made the offer during a phone conversation with embattled EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell last week.
“If it is proven to us that Iranian drones are being used in the Ukraine war against people, we should not remain indifferent,” Amir-Abdollahian said during a meeting with members of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA).
Since early September, Iranian drones have been spotted in Ukraine. Dozens of Iranian cargo planes have also landed in Russia since February.
On top of this, the Washington Post claims foreign intelligence “tipped off” the US and Ukraine about Iran’s plans to sell Russia advanced ballistic missiles.
However, despite all of these allegations, Iranian officials maintain their complete opposition to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“Iran’s issue regarding the war has been clearly established, and just as we are against the war in Syria and Yemen, we are also against the war in Ukraine,” the Iranian foreign minister reiterated on Monday. “Many times in the past months, the President and my colleagues in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have made efforts to help end the war.”
“Tehran’s policy is not contradictory and we are working hard for peace in the region, including Ukraine,” Amir-Abdollahian went on to say.
He also emphasized that the allegations against Iran stem from the ongoing western campaign to discredit the Islamic Republic and fuel protests on their streets.
“We are confident that there is no threat from Iran towards Ukraine, and we have not and will not give any weapons to Russia,” the official concluded.
Last week, the UK, France, and Germany called for a UN probe over the accusations that Russia has used Iranian drones to attack Ukraine.
On Monday, the Iranian ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeed Irwani, called these allegations “baseless” and described the possible UN investigation as “illegal.”
“We firmly reject the baseless allegations of the three European countries and the US about Iran selling drones to Russia,” Irwani said in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.