Iran’s president denies sending drones and other weapons to Russia, decries US meddling
- Iran, which has been under crippling US and Western sanctions, has developed a vast arms industry
- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi spoke to media in New York ahead of the UN General Assembly
Iran’s president denied his country had sent drones to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine, even as the United States accuses Iran of not only providing the weapons but helping Russia build a plant to manufacture them.
“We are against the war in Ukraine,” President Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday as he met with media executives on the sidelines of the world’s premier global conference, the high-level leaders’ meeting at the UN General Assembly.
Known as a hardliner, Raisi seemingly sought to strike a diplomatic tone. He reiterated offers to mediate the Russia-Ukraine war despite being one of the Kremlin’s strongest backers.
And he suggested that the just-concluded deal with the United States that led to the prisoner exchange and assets release could “help build trust” between the long-time foes.