In a post on the social media platform X, Araghchi emphasized that Iran's military cooperation with Moscow predates the Ukraine crisis and is unrelated to the current conflict.

The Iranian foreign minister made these remarks following his recent meetings with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and deputy foreign policy chief Enrique Mora in New York. During these discussions, Araghchi addressed concerns raised by European diplomats regarding Iran’s military ties with Russia.

"The military cooperation between Iran and Russia is not new; it has a long history, dating back before the Ukrainian crisis began," Araghchi wrote in his X post.

Araghchi also criticized European nations for their support of Israel, accusing them of supplying advanced weaponry to the Israeli regime while engaging in military actions against Iran. He further condemned the continuation of the U.S. "Maximum Pressure" policy, noting that European businesses still comply with U.S. sanctions as enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

"I clearly said, and reiterate once again: we've NOT provided ballistic missiles to Russia. If Europe needs a case to appease Israel's blackmail, better find another story," Araghchi added.

The Iranian government has consistently rejected claims of military involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine, calling for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. (ILKHA)