“I am gravely concerned by the growing military cooperation between Russia and Iran which continues to enable Russia’s prosecution of its brutal war against Ukraine,” Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement Friday.
She cited information released by the US earlier Friday which documented how Iran “has provided Russia with hundreds of one-way attack UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles], as well as UAV production-related equipment.”
The ambassador added that Russia has been using these UAVs in recent weeks to unleash missile strikes on Kyiv and “terrorize Ukrainian civilians.”
She went on to accuse Russia and Iran of violating UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which prohibits countries from transporting these types of weapons from Tehran.
Ukraine and the US, as well as other countries, have reported the violations to the United Nations, the ambassador stated. She said that there is an “urgent need” for the UN secretary-general to investigate the situation, adding that “doing so could save lives.”
Both Iran and Russia have repeatedly denied claims that Tehran has provided Moscow with drones to be used in the Ukraine war.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in November dismissed media controversy over Iran’s alleged support for Russia in the Ukraine war, adding, however, that Tehran had provided Moscow with a limited number of drones months before the war in Ukraine.
He also assured that Iran will not be indifferent if it is proven that Russia has used Iranian drones in the conflict.
