U.S. Assures Tehran Of Lying About Drones, Warns Countries Against Helping Iran and Russia

The State Department on Monday warned that it would take action against countries and companies found to be assisting Iran’s drone program amid Russia's deadly attacks on Kyiv, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"The U.S. will not hesitate to use sanctions or take actions against perpetrators,” Department's Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told the daily press briefing. “Anyone doing business with Iran that could have any link to UAVs or ballistic missile developments or the flow of arms from Iran to Russia should be very careful and do their due diligence," he explained.

Speaking to reporters, a senior Pentagon official called Russia's Monday attacks against Ukraine as "a sign of the bankrupt Russian strategy."

According to the Pentagon's assessment, Russian forces are using a variety of missiles and Iranian attack drones to target cities in Ukraine. "We assess that Russia has deliberately struck civilian infrastructure and non-military targets, with the purpose of needlessly harming civilians and attempting to instill terror among Ukrainian population," the official said on background.

Patel in his turn, went on to say, Russian deepening an alliance with Iran is "something the whole world – especially those in the region and across the world, frankly – should be seen as a profound threat”

Citing previously released U.S. intelligence, the spokesperson said that some of Iran’s unmanned aircraft sold to Russia have malfunctioned.

The transfer shows the “enormous pressure” on Russia after its setbacks in Ukraine, he said, adding that Moscow is “being forced frankly to resort to unreliable countries like Iran for supplies and equipment”.

Asked by TURAN's Washington correspondent whether the Biden administration was doing everything it can to help Ukraine  stand up against Iranian drones, Patel said, the U.S. will continue to work with its allies and partners to address "not just Iran’s  actions here but continue to hold Russia accountable."

"And we’re going to continue to surge  unprecedented security assistance to Ukraine, including air defense, as well as working with our allies to transfer air defense systems and other important security assets for Ukraine to  use," he added.

The White House also said on Monday that it “strongly condemns" Russia’s missile strikes against Ukraine adding that the attack “continues to demonstrate Putin’s brutality”.

“There is extensive proof of their use by Russia against both military and civilian targets,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a briefing.  “You all have seen as well the reports this morning of what appears to be an Iranian drone strike in downtown Kyiv. Yet Iran continues to lie about this,” she added. “They have not been truthful.”

The deepening Russia-Iran relationship could pose major global security threats,  Jean-Pierre said. “We’ll continue to vigorously enforce sanctions on both the Iranian and Russian arms trade,” she concluded.

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.