Iran rejects NATO accusations over role in Ukraine crisis, nuclear programme

Tehran, July 14 Iran has rejected a number of accusations levelled recently by the NATO members against the country, including over its alleged "military support to Russia against Ukraine" and nuclear programme.

In a statement published on Thursday on its website, the Iranian Embassy to Brussels responded to a statement by the NATO leaders at a summit in Lithuania on Tuesday accusing Iran of providing Russia with military support against Ukraine and expressing "concern about Iran's escalation of its nuclear programme".

Refuting the accusations as "baseless," the embassy said Iran has maintained its "impartial role" with regard to the Russia-Ukraine war and as a "law-abiding and influential regional player".

Regarding nuclear activities, Iran is still "absolutely determined" to honour its obligations within the framework of a 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), it added.

But certain NATO members, which are among the JCPOA parties, have "continuously violated the agreement and the UN Security Council Resolution 2231," it noted.

The NATO summit's statement also called upon Iran to "cease its military support to Russia, in particular its transfer of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which have been used to attack critical infrastructure, causing widespread civilian casualties".

Iran signed the JCPOA with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear programme in return for the removal of the sanctions on the country. The US, however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments under the deal.

The negotiations for the revival of the JCPOA commenced in April 2021 in Austria's capital Vienna. Despite several rounds of talks, no significant breakthrough has been achieved since the end of the last round in August 2022.

Ever since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, the West has been accusing Iran of sending drones to Moscow for military use.

Iran has repeatedly rejected such allegations, saying it has given only a limited number of UAVs to Russia months before the start of the war.