Zelensky accuses Iran of supplying drones to Russia
In an interview with Canadian media CBC and CTV, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Iran for the drones used by Moscow to strike Ukraine.
Iran provided the drones used to kill the Ukrainians. Not one, not two or five, but hundreds. We know there are thousands of orders and agreements, and hundreds of drones have been transferred for sure.
Tehran again denied, in a statement on Saturday, having supplied arms to Moscow, while accusing the West of seeking to ” lobby “ on Iran.
France, the United Kingdom and Germany called on Friday, in a letter addressed to the United Nations, for an investigation “impartial” on Iranian drones transferred to Russia “in violation of Security Council Resolution 2231”. This resolution was voted in 2015 to frame the Iranian civil nuclear agreement and provided at the time for a gradual lifting of economic sanctions against Iran.
The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom announced new sanctions against Iran on Thursday, targeting three generals and an arms company “responsible for supplying Russia with suicide drones” to bomb Ukraine.
“Iran sees the provocative approaches of the EU and the UK as part of a targeted political scenario”Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in the statement.
The latter has “strongly condemned” measures “destructive” of the EU and the British, adding that Iran “reserves the right to respond to any irresponsible action and that it will not hesitate to defend its interests”. Mr. Kanani also rejected “baseless allegations about the transfer of drones used in the conflict in Ukraine”.
“We are for peace and an immediate end to the war in Ukraine through a political process”he said.