Iran denies US claim about sending drones to Russia

Iran denied on Friday the US claims of sending hundreds of drones to Russia to use in its war in Ukraine, Anadolu Agency reported.

According to Anadolu Agency, this came in a phone call between Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba.

On Monday, the White House said it believed that Iran was preparing to supply Russia with “hundreds” of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), including weapons-capable drones, to use in its war in Ukraine, which is now in its fifth month.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan shared it was not clear whether Iran had already sent any of its UAVs to Russia but confirmed that the US had “information”, suggesting that it was preparing to train Russian forces to use them.

The Iranian foreign minister told Kuleba that the claims made by Sullivan during President Joe Biden’s Middle East tour had a “specific political goal”.

READ: Russia urges Israel to respond ‘wisely’ to US request on arms supplies to Ukraine

Kuleba told the Iranian official that he “valued” the continued communication between the two countries “even in the difficult days of war”.

On Thursday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani accused Sullivan of “distorting the truth”, while “unconditionally supporting the world’s most murderous regime,” referring to Israel.

Iran, a close ally of Russia, has stopped short of condemning Moscow’s war in Ukraine, blaming it on the NATO alliance and maintaining that it is opposed to it, Anadolu Agency reported.