“Iran has never provided the parties with weapons for use in the Ukraine conflict,” Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations Amir Saeed Iravani said in a Security Council meeting on Wednesday, according to the Press TV website.
“Iran has never produced or supplied, nor does it intend to produce or supply items, materials, equipment, goods, and technology that could contribute to the development of nuclear weapons delivery systems,” he said.
The United States and its European allies have in recent months accused Iran of providing Russia with drones to be used in the war in Ukraine.
The anti-Iran claims first emerged in July, with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan alleging that Washington had received “information” indicating that the Islamic Republic was preparing to provide Russia with “up to several hundred drones, including weapons-capable UAVs on an expedited timeline” for use in the war in Ukraine.
Both Iran and Russia have in the past vehemently denied the allegations.
Iravani further said that several member states of the Security Council, including the United States, have accused Iran of violating Resolution 2231 (2015) while they continue to violate their legal obligations under the same resolution, citing Washington's illegal withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the main example in this regard.
The Iranian diplomat added that some countries, by disseminating erroneous information, are now attempting to establish “an entirely artificial linkage” between Security Council Resolution 2231 and the alleged use of Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine on February 24, he added, Iran has emphasized that all member states must fully respect the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter as well as international law.
Iravani slammed the illegal move to conduct a so-called investigation as to whether Russia has used Iranian drones against Ukraine, saying it would be in clear violation of the Secretariat's mandate.
KI/PR