Iran: Reciprocal Measures Will be Taken in Response to Sanctions

By Staff, Agencies

The spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani, said on Tuesday, that the claim that “the Islamic Republic of Iran has sold ballistic missiles to the Russian Federation is completely baseless and false.”

He said the new sanctions are a continuation of the West’s hostile policy and its economic terrorism against Iranians.

The spokesman strongly condemned the unusual statement of the foreign ministers of England, France and Germany with the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the cancellation of bilateral agreements for the provision of air services and the sanctioning of Iran Air under the pretext of allegedly interfering in the conflict in Ukraine. 

Kanaani said the US and the three European countries are the main suppliers of weapons to the Zionist entity and therefore partners in its widespread massacre of people in Gaza.

He said these countries should be held to account for their wrong policies.

Earlier on Tuesday, Germany, France and the UK announced they will cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran and work towards imposing sanctions on the country’s national airliner, Iran Air.

The US has also sanctioned several individuals and entities based in Iran and Russia over Tehran’s alleged drone and missile sales to Russia.

On Monday, Moscow rejected US media reports claiming that Iran has sent short-range ballistic missiles to Russia to be used in the war in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had seen the report but that not all such reports were correct.

"Iran is our important partner, we are developing our trade and economic relations, we are developing our cooperation and dialog in all possible areas, including the most sensitive ones," Peskov told reporters.

The Wall Street Journal on September 6 cited unidentified US and European officials as saying that Iran had shipped short-range missiles to Russia.

Citing its sources over the weekend, CNN also reported that Iran had transferred missiles to Russia.

The European Union also on Monday repeated the same accusation, saying "credible" information provided by allies suggested that Iran has supplied short-range ballistic missiles to Russia to help Moscow wage war in Ukraine and hinted at a "swift" response.

Iran has rejected allegations of supplying ballistic missiles to Russia as baseless and misleading.

The mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations said on Friday that the country regards as inhuman any military assistance to parties of the Ukraine conflict that would increase damage to lives and infrastructure in Ukraine.