MOSCOW: The United States has called on Iran to halt alleged shipments of armed drones and spare parts for the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Russia amid discussions on a “broader written understanding” between Washington and Tehran aimed at de-escalation and resolving nuclear issues, reported Sputnik.
The Financial Times newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing sources, that US President Joe Biden’s administration raised the issue during indirect talks in Qatar and Oman this year alongside the negotiations on a prisoner swap deal.
Tehran officially denies the deployment of its armed drones in Ukraine. The newspaper also said that Iran had allegedly continuously asked Russia to stop using its UAVs in the Ukraine conflict, but Washington wanted “more concrete steps.”
The European Union has been accusing Iran of supplying combat drones to Moscow for alleged use in Russia’s special operation in Ukraine. Moscow and Tehran have rejected the allegations.
However, the bloc has imposed several related sanctions on Iran and in July banned cooperation with the country on drone production.
Washington and Tehran have been negotiating a prisoner swap for several years. Over the past year and a half, contacts on the issue have become increasingly active, alongside talks on restarting the Iran nuclear deal, which involves lifting sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Washington has consistently said that signing the prisoner agreement could revive the nuclear deal. – BERNAMA-SPUTNIK
