TEHRAN- The spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry has denounced the “destructive” move made by the European Union Council to impose further sanctions on Iranian people and organizations based on false accusations, noting that the politically driven measure will only exacerbate barriers to collaboration.

Nasser Kanaani sternly slammed in a statement on Tuesday the counterproductive action taken by the EU Council to impose penalties on Iranians based on the unfounded accusation that they were involved in the Ukraine conflict.

The EU Council imposed penalties on Monday on five Iranian firms and six Iranian individuals for allegedly being involved in Iran’s research and manufacturing of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are being allegedly utilized in the conflict in Ukraine.

Kanaani warned the EU that the desperate attempts by certain destructive currents with specific political objectives to release false information and resort to futile sanctions would provide no benefit for those imposing sanctions but would “only add to the self-created obstacles in the way of relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Europe.”

He continued that the European Union talks about international law and the UN Charter, but it has turned a blind eye to the egregious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Gaza and the West Bank, where the Israeli regime is carrying out ethnic cleansing and genocide.

Kanaani reaffirmed Iran’s opposition to war while scolding the EU for not doing enough to halt the Zionist regime’s ruthless attacks on Gaza.

He emphasized that the disputes between Russia and Ukraine must be resolved peacefully and said that there is no justification for the restrictions imposed on Iran’s military industry since Tehran has the right to retaliate.

On October 04, the Iranian mission to the UN reacted to allegations by the EU and other delegations that tried to link the alleged use of drones in the Ukraine war to Security Council resolution 2231 which endorsed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially called the JCPOA.

“First and foremost, we categorically reject the attempt by these delegations to establish a link between the alleged use of unmanned aerial vehicles in the Ukrainian conflict and Security Council resolution 2231. These allegations lack any foundation and have been consistently refuted by Iran. In our communications to the Security Council and the Secretary-General, including our letter dated 17 August 2023 contained in document (S/2023/610), we have reiterated the baselessness of these desperate attempts, and rejected the baseless accusations of Iran’s involvement in this conflict,” the statement reads. 

It also said, “The purported evidence is entirely fabricated and lacks any legal validity. Instead of making unprofessional, provocative, and irresponsible baseless allegations against the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015), the respective delegations should fully and genuinely comply with all of their respective legal obligations under that resolution, including refraining from any actions that undermine its implementation, particularly its annex A.”

The statement added, “Regarding Iran's peaceful program, it's important to note that the IAEA conducts robust and continuous verification and monitoring activities in Iran's nuclear facilities. We expect that such continuous and deep cooperation with the IAEA by the Islamic Republic of Iran in good faith is duly recognized. It should also be emphasized that Iran is entitled to utilize its rights as outlined in our Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) with the IAEA concerning the admission of inspectors and other related issues. We maintain a constructive relationship with the IAEA and its secretariat, aiming to resolve any outstanding issues.”