Iran provides "no weaponry" to parties fighting in Ukraine

October 15, 2022 - 22:46

TEHRAN- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian reiterates the necessity for a diplomatic resolution to the months-long war in Ukraine while asserting that the Islamic Republic has not sent armaments to either of the groups engaged in the Ukraine conflict.

Amir Abdollahian made the remarks in a telephone conversation with his Portuguese counterpart Joo Gomes Cravinho late on Friday.

The latest developments in bilateral relations, the negotiations to lift sanctions by reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Ukrainian crisis, the most recent deadly riots in Iran, and foreign meddling in domestic affairs of Iran were all topics of conversation between the Iranian and Portuguese foreign ministers.

The senior Iranian diplomat said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has not and will not provide any weapon to be used in the Ukraine war. We believe that arming the either side of the crisis will prolong the war. We do not view war to be the right solution either in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria or Yemen.”

He continued by saying that several Takfiri terrorist organizations operating near Iran's western and eastern borders, including al-Qaeda, Jaish al-Adl, and Daesh, pose risks to the country.

Amir Abdollahian also commented on internal developments in Iran, saying during the last several weeks a significant cache of weapons has been smuggled into the country through western and eastern borders.

The Iranian foreign minister went on to add that “this comes despite the fact that some countries in interventionist statements have termed riots and terrorist activities as protests, have practically provoked rioters and terrorists, and even put an anti-Iran resolution or sanctions on the agenda of the next meeting of the Council of the European Union. The Islamic Republic of Iran will reciprocate in case of such an action.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Amir Abdollahian underscored the need for the closure of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) bogus claims against Iran in regards to the Safeguards Agreement, and elaborated on negotiations in New York on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly as well as the constructive talks between the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami and UN nuclear agency's chief Rafael Grossi in the Austrian capital city of Vienna late last month.

Cravinho, for his part, emphasized the traditionally positive ties between Lisbon and Tehran and praised Iran's stances on the JCPOA revival talks as well as broader IAEA cooperation.

He also urged Iran to continue working with Portugal to mitigate the effects of the Ukraine war and offered his condolences to the families of all those who had lost their lives in the recent unrest in Iran.

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