Iran dismisses NATO allegation it supplies ballistic missiles to Russia
Iran categorically rejected allegations it is providing ballistic missiles and related technology to Russia, raised by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), to be used in the military campaign against Ukraine.
In a statement on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said NATO has made “totally baseless and politically-motivated” claims, Press TV reported.
In their declaration issued on Wednesday, the NATO leaders claimed that North Korea and Iran were fueling Russia’s military operation against Ukraine by providing direct military support to Moscow, such as munitions and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), which they said impacted Euro-Atlantic security and undermined the global non-proliferation regime.
They said any transfer of ballistic missiles and related technology by Iran to Russia would represent a substantial escalation.
The Iranian spokesman, in reaction, said the ongoing developments in Ukraine are the result of NATO’s “provocative” policies and measures led by the United States.
Kanaani added that any attempt to link the war in Ukraine to the cooperation between Iran and Russia is “politically-motivated” with the aim of legitimizing the West’s interference and their military aid to Ukraine.
He once again reiterated Iran’s unwavering strategy to play a constructive role in promoting endurable security in the region and across the world.
Iran has never provided Russia with any type of drones during the military conflict in Ukraine and still emphasizes the importance of settling the crisis and establishing lasting peace through political channels, the diplomat pointed out.
Iran has repeatedly rejected accusations that it has supplied weapons to Russia for direct use in the war in Ukraine. It has also discarded allegations of supplying weapons to anti-Israeli and anti-US groups in the region.
Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly warned that a flow of Western weapons to Ukraine will only prolong the conflict.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the US, alone, has provided approximately $51.4 billion in military assistance to Kiev, the US State Department said in early July.