By Deutsche Welle
Sep 11, 2024, 01:29 AM EDT
The United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany announced new sanctions against Iranparticularly in air transport, after accusing the Islamic Republic of having supplied ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine.
The head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken previously indicated at a press conference in London that Iran supplied missiles to Russia for use “in the coming weeks” in Ukrainea former Soviet republic facing an invasion by Moscow’s troops since February 2022.
Blinken, along with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, explained that one of the main targets of the new sanctions will be the national airline Iran Air. And in fact the United Kingdom was the first to announce specific measures.
UK ends flights to Iran
“We have begun to end all direct air links between the UK and Iran,” said British Transport Secretary Louise Haigh.
Iran Air operates direct flights between London’s Heathrow Airport and Tehran.
France, Germany and the United Kingdom also condemned in a joint statement “the export by Iran and the acquisition by Russia of Iranian ballistic missiles” and also announced sanctions against the air transport sector.
The three countries considered that these arms sales constitute “a new escalation of Iran’s military support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.”
“We will seek to identify significant entities and individuals involved with Iran’s ballistic missile program and the transfer of ballistic missiles and other weapons to Russia,” they said.
Iran Air will be one of the most affected by these economic sanctions, for having made deliveries of material to Russia, the US Treasury Department said.
Russia defies sanctions and announces agreement
Iran has rejected the allegations, calling them “false and misleading information.”
“This is nothing but horrible propaganda and a lie aimed at covering up the extent of the massive and illegal arms support by the United States and certain Western countries for the genocide in the Gaza Strip,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said on X.
While, Russia responded by announcing the upcoming signing of a new interstate framework agreement with Iran.
“We hope for the early signing of a new interstate framework agreement,” said Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Security Council, during a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, in St. Petersburg.
Shoigu, quoted by Interfax, said that the parties have concluded the procedures prior to the signing of the document by the presidents of both countries.
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