Tehran denies weapons transfers and calls new sanctions ‘financial terrorism’.
Iran has condemned allegations by Western nations that it has equipped short-range missiles to Russia to be used in opposition to Ukraine and pledged to answer new sanctions imposed by a trio of European states.
Ministry of International Affairs spokesman Nasser Kanaani, in an announcement issued late on Tuesday, reiterated Iran’s denial that it has equipped the weapons and referred to as the sanctions introduced by Britain, France and Germany “financial terrorism” in opposition to the individuals of Iran.
He pledged that the three European nations would face “acceptable and proportionate motion”.
France, Germany and the UK introduced the sanctions earlier the identical day after america formally accused Iran of supplying the weapons to Moscow.
The measures revoke bilateral offers for offering air providers to Iran and impose sanctions on flag provider Iran Air that can limit its capability to fly to Europe.
“As well as, we’ll pursue the designations of great entities and people concerned with Iran’s ballistic missile programme and the switch of ballistic missiles and different weapons to Russia,” the three European states mentioned.
The Iranian spokesman’s assertion didn’t point out related sanctions that have been introduced by the US.
“Any declare that the Islamic Republic of Iran has offered ballistic missiles to the Russian Federation is totally baseless and false,” Kanaani mentioned.
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, talking alongside British International Secretary David Lammy throughout a go to to London, mentioned Russia had obtained shipments of ballistic missiles from Iran and would “probably use them inside weeks in Ukraine”.
Warning that cooperation between Moscow and Tehran threatens wider European safety, he added that dozens of Russian navy personnel had obtained coaching in Iran on utilizing the Fath-360 missile, which has a variety of 120km (75 miles).
Posting on X, Kanaani mentioned experiences on the alleged transfers have been “ugly propaganda” used to hide “giant unlawful arms help of america and a few Western nations for the genocide in Gaza”.
Iran is already one of the vital closely sanctioned nations on the earth, and a few consultants have questioned the affect of extra financial penalties which may harm the nation’s center courses greater than its leaders.