Russia is seeking more weapons from Iran, including hundreds of ballistic missiles, and in return is offering Tehran an unprecedented level of military and technical support, Britain’s UN ambassador Barbara Woodward said on Friday, Reuters reported.
Woodward also said that since August, Iran has transferred hundreds of drones — unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) — to Russia, which has used them to “kill civilians and illegally target civilian infrastructure” in Ukraine.
Barbara Woodward confirmed the words of diplomatic sources at the UN on December 7 under the protection of anonymity.
Iran denies that it supplied drones to Moscow, and Russia denies that its forces used Iranian drones to attack Ukraine.
“Russia is now trying to get more weapons, including hundreds of ballistic missiles,” Woodward told reporters.
“In return, Russia is providing Iran with an unprecedented level of military and technical support. We are concerned that Russia plans to provide Iran with more advanced military components that will allow Iran to strengthen its ability to build weapons,” she said. said
The Iranian and Russian missions to the UN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Iran has promised to supply Russia with surface-to-surface missiles in addition to additional drones, two senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats told Reuters in October.
Russia will also turn to North Korea for weapons
The United States said Wednesday that deliveries of Iranian drones to Russia are continuing, but Washington has seen no evidence that Iran has transferred ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine.
Ahead of Friday’s Security Council meeting requested by Russia, Woodward spoke about weapons from the conflict in Ukraine, which Russia says are “going into the hands of bandits and terrorists” elsewhere in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
She also said the UK was “almost certain that Russia is looking to obtain weapons from North Korea (and) other heavily sanctioned states as its surplus stockpiles are clearly dwindling”.
Antonio Guterres wants to send UN experts to investigate the origin of downed drones in Ukraine
The United Nations is reviewing “available information” on allegations that Iran supplied drones to Russia, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a report to the Security Council earlier this week, as it faces Western pressure to send experts to Ukraine to inspect the downed drones. planes drones
Britain, France, Germany, the United States and Ukraine say the supply of Iranian drones to Russia violates a 2015 UN Security Council resolution on the Iran nuclear deal.
Russia claims that Guterres does not have the authority to send UN experts to Ukraine to investigate the origin of the drones.
In the latest report, Guterres said that the transfer of drones or ballistic missiles – with a range of more than 300 km – from Iran to another country would require the prior approval of the UN Security Council.
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Source: Hot News
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