Iran calls Ukraine 'black market' for Hamas weapons, Foreign Ministry responds
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Iran claims that Hamas is allegedly acquiring weapons from the "black market" in Ukraine. The country's hypocrisy becomes even more apparent, considering its ongoing refusal to acknowledge evidence of its support for Russia, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' press service.
What happened
During an online address at the Doha Forum, Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, confirmed Tehran's "historical" support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad. According to him, the support supposedly adhered to international legal norms.
Commenting on arms deliveries to the groups, he also said that one of the black markets from which they can obtain weapons is Ukraine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' response
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine rejects Iran's provocative and unfounded accusations, as they do not align with reality.
Ukraine has transparent mechanisms for monitoring the acquisition and use of weapons. This, in turn, actively combats propaganda as well as fake accusations.
"The hypocrisy of the mentioned statement becomes even more apparent when considering Iran's confirmed direct supply of drones to Russia, which has long been proven with real evidence and facts that Iran refuses to accept or acknowledge, despite their absolute clarity and certainty," the press service writes.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again warned Iran of the consequences of supporting the war against Ukraine, which far outweigh any benefits from cooperation with the terrorist country, Russia.
"Iran must abandon its destructive actions and adhere to the principles and norms of international law," the press service adds.
Iran-Russia cooperation
In the first year of the full-scale invasion, Russia secured Iran's assistance in supplying kamikaze drones of the Shahed type. Since then, the terrorist country has regularly used UAVs to attack Ukraine's military and civilian infrastructure, leading to numerous sanctions against Iran.
As recently stated by a representative of the U.S. National Security Council, John Kirby, the Russian Federation and Iran are intensifying their cooperation in the defense sector. The countries have agreed to "counteract" Western sanctions. The Kremlin has called this an important step in increasing coordination efforts among members of the global community to overcome illegal sanctions.
