Iran says US, West seek to turn Ukraine conflict into 'war of attrition'

Tehran, April 29 The Iranian Defence Minister Mohammadreza Ashtiani has said the US and some Western countries are after turning the conflict in Ukraine into "a war of attrition" by continuing sending weapons to Kiev, state media reported.

Ashtiani made the remarks in a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin in New Delhi, India, on Thursday, in which they also highlighted the necessity of expanding and continuing the bilateral relations, official news agency IRNA reported on Friday.

The Iranian Defence Minister stressed that Iran supports any diplomatic efforts that would result in the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine war, Xinhua news agency reported.

He noted that the "meddlesome and unilateral" approaches of the US and some Western countries have led to an increase in conflicts and insecurities in different parts of the world.

Ashtiani said that given that Iran and Belarus are both under the sanctions imposed by the US and its allies, they are required to work toward expanding bilateral relations and cooperation.

For his part, the Belarusian Minister praised the cooperation between his country and Iran over the past three decades, saying despite the international pressures and sanctions, Iran has managed to turn into a strong country in the international system, pursue a stable foreign policy and insist on protecting its rights.