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Al-Arabia – Britain will continue to help Ukraine defend itself in its war against Russia and sanction Iranian individuals and companies who have been supplying drones to Russia, the United Kingdom’s foreign minister James Cleverly told Al Arabiya in an exclusive interview.
Cleverly said the UK will sanction “Iranian individuals and companies who have been supplying attack drones to Russia, which Russia has then used against civilians in Ukraine,” in reference to Russia and Iran’s growing drone alliance.
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Reports about Iran’s involvement in the Ukraine war surfaced last month, claiming that the Islamic Republic sent drones to Russia which were then used to target its neighbor. After initially rejecting these claims, Iran eventually admitted it had sent drones to Russia before the war broke out in February.
Iran also recently promised to provide Russia with surface-to-surface missiles, in addition to more drones, a move that has infuriated the United States and other Western powers which are backing Ukraine in the war.
In retaliation, Ukraine renewed its appeal to the US to supply it with powerful drones and anti-drone missiles, hoping to counter the threat of Russia’s arsenal of Iran-made drones.
“The point that we have made throughout this conflict is that Russia is not under threat from the West. Russia is not under threat from NATO. This war is because of Russia’s aggression to Ukraine.”
“We have helped Ukraine defend itself against Russian attack. And we will continue to help and do not threaten Russia now. What we are saying is that Vladimir Putin’s behavior is why Ukraine is defending itself, and defending itself so passionately,” Cleverly told Al Arabiya.
Cleverly’s comments came on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain over the weekend.
Iran protests
When asked about the protests in Iran, the British foreign minister said that the UK stands in solidarity with Iranians.
“The message that I would put to the Iranian leadership is: Listen to your own people. They are crying out for change. And what we are saying to the Iranians is that this is their challenge, this is their responsibility, and they should listen to their own people.”
The Islamic Republic has been rocked by protests since the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman of Kurdish origin, after her arrest for an alleged breach of Iran’s dress rules for women.
It has accused its foreign foes, including Britain, Israel, and the US, of fomenting the unrest.
“I think what we are seeing from the Iranian government, from the regime in Tehran, is their desire to blame other countries for the effect of their own treatment of the Iranian people and listen to their voices. Iran is trying to deflect away from its own behavior, it’s trying to blame other countries, including the UK,” Cleverly said.
“The choice of leadership for Iran is a choice for the Iranian people. What we have done is we have made sure that we highlight the bravery of the Iranian women, that we help them highlight the changes that they want.”
“We stand in solidarity with them but this is a campaign by Iranian people sending a message to the Iranian government, and it is their choice – and rightly is their choice – as to what they wish to say to their own government.”
Poland
Asked about the missiles that struck Poland last Tuesday, Cleverly said “we still await the final details of the investigation.”
“But what we know is that the missiles and the missile defense systems are in a direct response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine and Russia’s targeting of civilian infrastructure deep into Ukraine. There are only missiles in the sky above Europe because of Russia’s aggression against its neighbor. We will continue to support Ukraine as it defends itself, and it has a right to defend itself against aggression,” he added.
