Iranian FM rejects claims of providing Iranian drones to Russia

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian

TEHRAN, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian rejected on Thursday again claims that Tehran has provided drones to Russia for use against Ukraine, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.

He made the remarks at a joint press conference with his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor in South Africa's administrative capital Pretoria.

He said Iran has held several rounds of consultations with the Ukrainian side on the issue, during which Ukraine failed to present "any valid evidence."

He added Russia has promised Iran that it has never used Iranian equipment in the war with Ukraine and "will never do so."

The Iranian diplomat reiterated Iran's neutrality on the Ukrainian crisis, adding that "we maintain that war is not the solution and all parties should make efforts to work out a political solution."

Ukraine and Western countries have accused Iran of exporting suicide drones to Russia for use in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Iran has repeatedly rejected the accusations as "baseless," saying it had only given "a limited number" of drones to Russia months before the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.