Rejecting the West's allegations over the sale of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia, Esmaeil Baghaei stressed that Tehran’s stance on the Ukraine conflict is clear and principled as the country has always called on all states to respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He further cited that unfortunately, several European countries continue to make claims about Iran's alleged military intervention in the Ukraine conflict without providing documents.
The senior Iranian diplomat also termed the European Union and the UK's accusations fraudulent and an attempt to divert public opinion from the genocide of the Palestinian people and the Zionist regime's warmongering in the West Asian region.
He also criticized the approach of certain European countries, including the UK and Germany in providing lethal weapons to the Zionist regime for genocide and aggression in Gaza and Lebanon.
He further emphasized Iran's inalienable right to have defense and military cooperation with other countries, including Russia, in order to meet the country’s defense needs and protect its national security.
Baghaei also stressed Iran's right to take appropriate measures and respond to illegal and unjustified sanctions.
The European Union imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran over alleged missile supplies to Russia.
On Monday, the bloc's foreign ministers agreed to impose sanctions on Iran for allegedly supplying Russia with ballistic missiles amid the conflict in Ukraine.
The sanctions target individuals and companies said to be involved in Iran's ballistic missile program, notably including the state airline, Iran Air, RT reported.
On Sunday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi once again emphasized that the Islamic Republic has not provided ballistic missiles to Russia, stressing that the military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow is not new.
Araghchi took to X social media platform to reiterate Iran's stance regarding the war in Ukraine and reject the West's accusations against the Islamic Republic.
Referring to his meetings with European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and European Union's deputy foreign policy chief Enrique Mora in New York, the top Iranian diplomat said that he had discussed this issue with the European diplomats.
The military cooperation between Iran and Russia is not new; has a history, long before the Ukrainian crisis began, he wrote in an X post.
"Some Europeans have provided the Israeli regime with all kinds of sophisticated weapons, and anxiously engaged in military operation against Iran," Araghchi added.
"US Maximum Pressure policy is still in place, and business community in Europe follows OFAC instructions in full."
"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."
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