Iran's latest response to EC sanctions over alleged UAV exports to Russia

Ukraine and several Western countries have accused Iran of exporting suicide UAVs to Russia for use in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Máy bay không người lái (UAV) của Iran tại một căn cứ bí mật. (Nguồn: Quân đội Iran)

Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at a secret base. (Source: Iranian Army)

On December 12, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani strongly condemned new sanctions imposed by the European Council (EC) on individuals and entities of the country, based on "baseless claims of supporting Russia in the conflict in Ukraine".

Kanaani made the remarks in a statement posted on the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website, responding to the EC's decision on December 11 to impose restrictions on "six people and five entities involved in the development and production of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)" used by Russia in its conflict with Ukraine.

The move, aimed at achieving “specific political goals,” would fail and affect relations between Tehran and Europe, the official said.

Affirming Iran's principled stance against the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the need to resolve differences through peaceful means, the spokesman stressed that Tehran reserves the right to respond to EU sanctions.

Ukraine, as well as several Western countries, have accused Iran of exporting suicide UAVs to Russia for use in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Tehran has repeatedly denied these allegations and said that it only supplied “a limited number” of UAVs to Russia, months before the Russia-Ukraine conflict began (February 2022).

Source