Iran on Friday urged Ukrainian citizens to leave the country and warned against traveling to the war-torn country, a day after the United States accused Tehran of aiding Russia’s war effort.
In a statement, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “Due to the military escalation in Ukraine, all Iranians are strongly advised to refrain from traveling to Ukraine. Iranians living in Ukraine are also advised to I have been advised to leave the country,” he said. Reuters.
The department did not mention comments made Thursday by White House National Security Press Secretary John Kirby, who said the US was “directly involved on the ground” in supporting Russia in Crimea. He said that he knew that
White House says Iranian forces in Crimea are training Russians in drone strikes, White House says
Western officials warned in July that Tehran would “donate” hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Moscow as Russian troops in Ukraine faltered and their advances stalled.
Since September, Russia has significantly increased the number of drone attacks it has carried out against civilians and infrastructure-based targets such as Ukraine’s electrical system.
Kirby confirmed Thursday that not only is Iran providing drones, but that Iranian military personnel are stationed in Crimea to help the Russian military fly Tehran’s drones. .
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Moscow has relied on missile strikes since the war’s onslaught, and Kyiv has repeatedly called on Western allies to help with its air defenses as Russian forces have been pushed back to the ground but continue to strike from the air. .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week asked the G7 countries to help create an “air shield” for Kyiv. The request could become even more urgent following Kirby’s proposal that Tehran could provide Russia with additional missile systems.
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“Russia may also seek to acquire from Iran advanced conventional weapons such as surface-to-surface missiles that will almost certainly be used to support the war against Ukraine,” Kirby told reporters. rice field.
He did not specifically mention Zelensky’s call for an ‘air shield’, but said, “The United States will pursue all means to expose, deter, and counter Iran’s provision of these ammunition to the Ukrainian people. I plan to,” he said.