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Iran calls in four EU envoys over Russia-related sanctions
The British, Dutch, French and German envoys “were summoned by the ministry of foreign affairs following sanctions and unconstructive remarks by European parties,” the official IRNA reported.
Britain, France and Germany announced new sanctions Tuesday targeting Iranian air transport in response to what they claimed was Tehran’s delivery of ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the Ukraine war.
“We will be taking immediate steps to cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran,” the three European countries said in a joint statement, adding that they would also “work towards imposing sanctions on Iran Air.”
The Netherlands summoned Iran’s ambassador on Wednesday over the alleged missile transfer, Iranian media reported, prompting a reciprocal action by Tehran.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry “strongly condemned... recent destructive actions and statements” by European officials, IRNA said.
“The insistence on adopting such positions and actions is considered a continuation of the West’s hostile policy against the Iranian people,” it added. Director General of the Western Europe Department at the Iranian Ministry of Affairs Majid Nili Ahmadabadi reiterated Iran’s clear stance officially declared regarding the Ukraine war, saying, “As previously emphasized, any claim that the Islamic Republic of Iran has sold ballistic missiles to Russia is completely baseless and false.”
“America and a number of European allies mention security and peace while they themselves are the source of tension and escalation of crisis in the world by selling deadly weapons, including to the Zionist regime,” he said.
“It is natural that they should answer the consequences of their wrong policies.”
‘Faulty intelligence and flawed logic’
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also said “faulty intelligence and flawed logic” have once again led the United States and the European troika to impose sanctions against the Islamic
Republic.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Araghchi said that “once again, US and E3 act on faulty intelligence and flawed
logic.”
“Iran has NOT delivered ballistic missiles to Russia. Period.”
Iran’s mission to the United Nations has also declared that the country views any military aid to parties involved in the Ukraine conflict, which would exacerbate harm to lives and infrastructure in Ukraine, as inhumane. Iran has repeatedly denied it delivered any weapons to Russia for use in the Ukraine war, and vowed to respond to the fresh sanctions.
The United States has also imposed sanctions on 10 individuals and nine entities based in Iran and Russia.
Included in the sanctions were ships that regularly bring cargo across the Caspian Sea between Iran and Russia and Iran’s flag carrier Iran Air “for operating or having operated in the transportation sector of the Russian Federation
economy.”