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102822 Editorial VO 2 26 022318 U.S. Concerned Over Iranian Tranfer of UAVs to Russia.mp3
Deadly Russian air strikes using Iranian-made Kamikaze drones continue to rock cities in Ukraine, killing civilians, and damaging residential buildings, power stations, sewage treatment plants, bridges, and playgrounds. State Department Deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel warned that Russia’s “deepening. . .alliance with Iran is something the entire world, especially those in the region, should view as a profound threat.”
In response, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France raised the issue of Iran’s transfer of unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, at a meeting of the UN Security Council. The United States expressed its grave “concerns about Russia’s acquisition of these UAVs from Iran in violation of UN Security Council resolution 2231,” said State Department spokesperson Ned Price in a statement.
“The United States began warning in July that Iran was planning to transfer UAVs to Russia for use in Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine,” said spokesperson Price, “and we now have abundant evidence that these UAVs are being used to strike Ukrainian civilians and critical civilian infrastructure.” Drones have played a significant role in the conflict, but their use has increased since the summer. Iran has denied supplying weapons to Russia despite evidence to the contrary.
U.S. Mission to the United Nations Spokesperson Nate Evans confirmed that there is “ample evidence that Russia is using Iranian-made UAVs in cruel and deliberate attacks against the people of Ukraine, including against civilians and critical civilian infrastructure. By procuring these weapons in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions Russia continues to flout international law in its pursuit of a senseless and brutal war against Ukraine,” he declared.
As Iran continues to lie and deny providing weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine, the United States is committed to working with allies and partners to prevent the transfer of dangerous weaponry to Russia, said spokesperson Price. “We will not hesitate to use our sanctions and other appropriate tools on all involved in these transfers. We will also continue to surge unprecedented security assistance to Ukraine, including air defense capabilities, so that Ukraine can defend itself from these weapons.”