The first time that Iran has provided drones to Russia was admitted by Iran’s foreign minister on Saturday (local time), but he insisted that the transfer took place before Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, during which Iranian-made drones have been used to dive-bomb Kyiv.
The remarks by Hossein Amirabdollahian, the foreign minister of Iran, follow months of conflicting information from Iran over the transfer of weapons, as Russia sends drones slamming into Ukrainian energy infrastructure and civilian targets.
After a meeting in Tehran, Amirabdollahian informed reporters, “We have a restricted number of drones to Russia months before the Ukraine war.”
Iranian officials had previously denied arming Russia during its conflict with Ukraine. Just earlier this week, Iran’s Ambassador to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani called the allegations “totally unfounded” and reiterated Iran’s position of neutrality in the war.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been urged by the US and its Western Security Council partners to look into whether Russia used Iranian drones to target civilians in Ukraine.
However, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has made oblique claims that it has given drones to the world’s most powerful nations. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has extolled the efficacy of the drones and mocked Western hand-wringing over their danger.
Crowds brandished signs depicting the triangle-shaped drones as a source of national pride during state-sponsored protests on Friday to commemorate the 1979 US Embassy seizure.
Amirabdollahian asserted on Saturday that Iran was unaware of the usage of its drones in Ukraine even as he acknowledged the supply. He declared that Iran was still committed to ending the crisis.
“If (Ukraine) has any documents in their possession that Russia used Iranian drones in Ukraine, they should provide them to us,” he said.
We won’t be indifferent to this matter, he continued, “if it is confirmed to us that Russia utilised Iranian drones in the fight against Ukraine.”
Iran reveals that it sent drones to Russia.
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