Iran
Residents watch from their windows in a damaged residential building after a Russian drone attack in the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odessa on June 10, 2023. Photo: Oleksandr Gimanov/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday urged Iran to end its support for Russia in the war in Ukraine, during a telephone call with his Iranian counterpart, according to the Elysee.
Macron called on Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to “immediately” end Iranian support to Russia, citing the “security and humanitarian consequences” of Tehran’s actions. Iran’s support has mainly consisted of supplying Russia with drones.
The call comes a day after the White House released satellite images of what it claimed to be an industrial site in Russia where Moscow is building a drone manufacturing factory with Tehran’s help. The drones were manufactured in Iran and shipped to Russia across the Caspian Sea, but spokesperson John Kirby said Washington is “also concerned that Russia is working with Iran to produce Iranian UAVs from inside Russia.”
Iran’s drone program is under US sanctions and the State Department on Friday published an advisory stating, “It is critical that the private sector be vigilant in meeting its legal obligations vis-a-vis Iran’s development of UAVs and associated components procurement and doing its part to prevent any activities that would further the development of Iran’s destabilizing and dangerous UAV program.”
Early on Saturday, Ukraine said three people died in Odesa in a fire caused by debris from the drones intercepted by its air defense forces.
Iran has previously acknowledged it had sent drones to Russia, but prior to its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Also on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the highly anticipated counteroffensive against Russian forces were currently underway, while saying that any further details will be withheld.
Raisi confirmed that the war in Ukraine was one of the topics discussed with Macron but did not provide any specific details. According to Iranian state media, Raisi stated that Tehran opposed the war and that “diplomacy was the best solution.”
The Iranian president also called for further talks towards the lifting of sanctions on Tehran.
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