TEHRAN – Friday marked the first anniversary of a war in Ukraine that drastically impinged on international relations, including relations between Iran and the West. 

Right from the start, Iran has called for dialogue and political resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. While Iran blamed the breakout of the Ukraine war on the NATO expansion to the east, it refrained from taking sides in the war and thus refused to fan the flames of the war by supplying the warring sides with weapons. 

Despite Iran’s clear-cut stance on the war, the Europeans and Americans pointed the finger of the blame on Iran for allegedly supplying Russia with combat drones, something that Iran roundly rejected. 

In a non-paper to the United Nation in October last year, Iran said its position on the Ukraine war was “clear, consistent, and unwavering” and it has been pronounced since the start of the conflict.

“From the beginning, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always emphasized that all UN Members must fully respect the purposes and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter as well as applicable international law, including sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity,” the non-paper said. 

As regard drone provision, Iran said it “categorically rejects unfounded and unsubstantiated claims that Iran has transferred unmanned aerial vehicles for use in the conflict in Ukraine. Such claims are nothing but a propaganda apparatus launched by certain states to further their political agenda.”

The West, however, continued to level accusations against Iran, prompting Iran to reach out to Ukrainian authorities to clarify the situation. Many meetings have reportedly been held between the two sides, with the Ukrainian failing to present any piece of evidence to back Western allegations regarding the Iranian drones. 

Western countries did not offer evidence to back their claims too. However, they continue to level accusations. Pundits believe that the kerfuffle over drones is part of a broader plot to get Iran entangled in the Ukraine war through media propaganda. This is while the West is flooding Ukraine with deadly weapons. Observers note that Americans and Europeans are looking for excuses and even making excuses to put pressure on Iran. The war in Ukraine and the above claim are one of these excuses to justify their bad faith and hostility toward Iran, especially in regard to the ill-fated 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 

In this regard, the West is enlisting members of the Iranian diaspora who seek to exploit European fears of war in Europe to advance their treacherous agenda. 

This is while Iran has always supported peaceful solutions to the war in Ukraine and its latest vote in the UN General Assembly is a case in point. 

In its latest diplomatic initiative, Iran voiced support for forming a cross-regional group of states to bring the war in Ukraine to an end. The announcement was made by Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saied Iravani.

Addressing the UN General Assembly's eleventh emergency special session on Ukraine on Thursday, Iravani said that Tehran “supports the idea of leveraging the Secretary General's capacity, as mandated by the UN Charter, to establish a cross-regional group of independent, competent, impartial countries. The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to contribute to this process.”

This can facilitate dialogue and help find a way out of the current “impasse”, he added, according to Press TV. 

Iravani stressed that Iran's position with regard to the war in Ukraine has not changed. “We are steadfast in our commitment to upholding the principles and purposes enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, including the principles of sovereign equality and territorial integrity of States.”

“We urge all parties to fully comply with their obligation on the international humanitarian law including taking constant precautions to protect civilians and critical infrastructure and facilitating access to safe and unfettered access to humanitarian aid for those in need,” said the diplomat.

Noting that the ongoing conflict is “detrimental to both parties as neither can earn any long-term advantage”, he added that “it is crucial for all involved parties to abandon the military ambitions and prioritize finding a peaceful diplomatic resolution.”

Iravani also pointed to the need to solve the root causes of the conflict. “By prioritizing dialogue and diplomacy and addressing the underlying cause of the conflict we can take a crucial step toward achieving a solution that not only mitigates the devastating humanitarian part but also restores regional stability and security,” he said.

He continued, “As a first step, we call for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, coupled with the provision of humanitarian aid to those in need, which should take precedence over all else.”

The diplomat also criticized the draft of the proposed resolution, saying, "Unfortunately, the proposed text falls short of comprehensively and impartially addressing all aspects of the issue and fails to acknowledge the conditions and provocations that have contributed to the crisis."

He noted that the actions and policies of certain sponsors of this resolution raise doubts about the political will to resolve the dispute peacefully.

The Iranian ambassador also referred to Iranophobic allegations made by Israel. 

“Iranophobic campaign and widespread systematic dissemination of disinformation and baseless allegations against Iran have always been one of the main elements of the statements by the Israeli regime at the UN,” he said.

“The Israeli regime cannot conceal its brutalities in Palestine or distract attention from its long-standing malign activities and demonic policies in other countries,” he said, adding that the regime is “notorious for its atrocities and apartheid policies against the people of Palestine and the region by targeting innocent people including women and children.”

The Israeli regime continues to commit flagrant and systematic violations of human rights and all norms of international humanitarian law, the diplomat said.