From the floor of the UN General Assembly, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi yesterday accused the US of “adding fuel to the fire” of the conflict in Ukraine, which was attacked in February 2022 by troops of Moscow – an ally of Tehran.

Addressing a harsh accusation towards Washington and the West, the Iranian president claimed that the US “incited the tension and added fuel to the fire” of the conflict in Ukraine, “with the aim of weakening European countries”. “Unfortunately, this is a long-term project,” he added.

Maintaining clarity on Tehran’s policy, Raisi said his country “does not support any war, anywhere, not in Europe or elsewhere.”

Accused of supplying drones to Russia to bolster Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine, Iran has assured through its president that it “supports any (diplomatic) initiative aimed at ending hostilities and war”.

When the UN General Assembly passed resolutions condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Iran chose to either abstain or not participate in the vote.

The United States and Iran have not had diplomatic relations for more than 40 years, following the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the hostage-taking at the American embassy in Tehran.

The two countries grew closer in the 2010s thanks to the international agreement to control Iran’s nuclear program, which was ratified in 2015 in exchange for the lifting of US and European sanctions against Tehran.

Although it categorically denies that it is seeking to acquire an atomic bomb, Iran has gradually abandoned its commitments under the deal since the US unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018 during Donald Trump’s days in the White House.