Iranian Foreign Minister Calls Arms Aid for Warring Parties in the Russo-Ukrainian War Will Delay Peace

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. (Wikimedia Commons/Hossein Mersadi)

JAKARTA - Arms assistance to warring parties in the Ukraine-Russia war will only delay the chances of peace, Iran's top diplomat said.

In a telephone conversation with his Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said his country did not and would never send weapons to Russia to fight in Ukraine.

"Although some countries provide military support to Ukraine, we have never sent and will never send any weapons to Russia for use against Ukraine", Amir-Abdollahian said on his website.

"As we believe, the solution to this crisis is political, and offering any arms support to both sides will delay the opportunity for peace."

Last July, Amir-Abdollahian did not confirm the sale of military equipment to Russia, including unmanned aerial vehicles, ensuring Tehran avoids any move that could lead to an escalation in Ukraine, in his interview with the newspaper La Repubblica.

"We have various forms of cooperation with Russia, including in the field of defense, but we are not helping any of the parties involved in the Ukraine conflict, because we believe it must be resolved", he explained.

"I think right now the problem is elsewhere, some Western countries, including the US, are making weapons and trying to sell their products. We are trying to avoid any action that could lead to escalation. We are working to stop this war", he said of a statement by US President Jake Sullivan's National Security Adviser on Iran's plans to send drones to Russia.

As previously reported, newly declassified US intelligence revealed that Iran is expected to supply Russia with "hundreds" of drones, including armed drones, for use in the war in Ukraine, Sullivan said.

Furthermore, he said Tehran was also ready to provide training for Moscow's troops on how to operate the drones given as early as possible.