NATO provocations among root causes of Ukraine war: Iran FM

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has highlighted Iran’s efforts towards a political settlement to the Ukraine crisis, blaming the conflict on the US-led NATO military alliance and its provocations.

“We consider NATO and its provocations among the root causes of the war and crisis. We continue our efforts to stop the war and make the parties focus on a political solution,” he said on Monday at a press conference in the Japanese capital, Tokyo.

Amir-Abdollahian also emphasized that the Islamic Republic has always maintained its principled position against the war as a solution.

“Since the beginning of the war, we have put on agenda … an end to the war as well as the parties’ return to dialog and a political solution, and taken active measures in this framework,” he added.

In February 2022, Russia launched what it called a special military operation in Ukraine partly to prevent NATO’s eastward expansion after warning that the military alliance was following an “aggressive line” against Moscow.

The Western countries have been fueling the flames of the war with their unchecked delivery of weapons to Ukraine.

They, however, accuse Iran of providing Russia with military equipment, including drones, for use in Ukraine, an allegation categorically rejected by Tehran.

‘Ukraine has no evidence on Iran drones claim’

Also in his remarks, the top Iranian diplomat rejected as “completely wrong and incorrect” the accusations regarding the use of Iranian drones in the Ukraine war.

He said that Tehran’s defense cooperation with Moscow has never involved the use of Iranian drones or weapons in the Ukraine war as Russia itself is one of the world’s biggest arms producers and exporters.

“We have provided no parties [to the war] with drones for use in Ukraine,” he asserted.

Kiev offers no proof of alleged 'Russian use' of Iranian drones in Ukraine war: Iran defense chief

The Iranian defense chief says Ukraine failed to present any proof of Russia’s alleged use of Iranian drones in the Ukraine war.

Amir-Abdollahian further said that last year he had himself asked Ukraine to submit its alleged anti-Iran evidence to Iranian military officials.

The Ukrainian side shunned a meeting with an Iranian military delegation in Warsaw, Poland, and it provided no acceptable documents in a later meeting in Oman, he added.

“It was agreed that the Ukrainian side will once again review its documents for examination in another meeting with the Iranian side. We repeatedly called for such a meeting, but the Ukrainian side did not attend a new round of talks.”

“In a phone call with the Ukrainian foreign minister, I said I am sure that you do not have the alleged document and that the accusations regarding the use of Iranian drones in the Ukraine war are completely wrong and incorrect.”

The Iranian foreign minister also expressed Iran’s objection to the arming of any party to the Ukraine war, saying the flow of American and Western weapons to the former Soviet country will stoke insecurity and instability there and cause further deaths and destruction.

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