Claims by CIA Director William Burns that Tehran is allegedly assisting Moscow in the Ukraine conflict are completely unfounded, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Sunday. Such statements are meant to shift focus away from Washington’s own aggressive policies, he added.
Last week, Burns told PBS that the US is “quite worried” about Iran’s alleged involvement in the Ukraine conflict. He also warned of signs of “a full-fledged defense partnership between Russia and Iran." To support his case, he claimed that "[the] Iranians [are] supplying drones to the Russians,” an allegation Tehran denies.
“American officials, in continuation of their baseless political claims and illegal measures against the Islamic Republic of Iran, are questioning the conventional defense and military cooperation between Iran and Russia,” Kanaani said.
He went on to denounce what he described as a “propaganda war by the Americans, which is based on lies and deception.” According to the spokesman, the insinuations are meant to pile up political pressure on Iran, and “fuel Iranophobia and cover up their warmongering attitude.”
Kanaani also stated that while Moscow and Tehran cooperate in a number of areas, including defense, the partnership poses no threat to any third party, adding that Iran would not ask permission from anyone to forge relations with foreign countries.
In recent months, Western and Ukrainian officials have accused Tehran on numerous occasions of sending drones to Russia to be deployed on the battlefield in Ukraine. However, Iran has repeatedly said that it is neutral in the Ukraine conflict, with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian arguing that “there should be a political solution to that crisis.”
Earlier this month, the minister also slammed the West for “uncontrolled” arms shipments to Ukraine, adding that this assistance had “further complicated the situation” in the country.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said all weapons used by Russian troops in Ukraine come from domestic stockpiles.