Zelensky proposes parliament to sanction Iran for 50 years

May 29, 2023 - 21:40

TEHRAN- Building on his unfounded claims that Iran is supplying Russia with weapons, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has filed a draft resolution to the parliament that would impose sanctions on Iran for 50 years.

The measure, which was announced on Sunday, forbids any investments, commerce, and technology transfers with Iran.

It forbids Iranian transit across Ukrainian territory as well as the use of its airspace and prevents the withdrawal of Iranian assets from the East European country.

Additionally, the bill forbids the National Bank of Ukraine from registering an Iranian-operated international payment system, requiring the cabinet, the Foreign Intelligence Service, and the Security Service to put the restrictive measures against Iran into effect.

The Ukrainian parliament is expected to back the sanctions bill, which has already been approved by the National Security and Defense Council.

The legislature has not scheduled the vote yet, according to its website.

Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff, stated that the draft resolution is in retaliation to Iran’s suspected arms delivery to Russia.

Zelensky stated in a video speech last week that Iranians were being led to “the dark side of history” over Tehran’s suspected delivery of drones to Moscow.

In response, Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, asserted that the Ukrainian president had staged a “political show” full of “worthless” accusations in an effort to gain more Western arms.

“The repetition of false claims by the Ukrainian president against the Islamic Republic is in line with the propaganda and media war of the anti-Iran axis against Iran’s government and people with the aim of securing as much arms and financial aid as possible from Western countries,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

Iran has strongly denied allegations made by the Ukraine and Western nations that it sent Russia military drones to use in the conflict.

The allegations against Iran first surfaced in July of last year, when U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan claimed that Washington had “information” indicating that the Islamic Republic was getting ready to give Russia “up to several hundred drones, including weapons-capable UAVs on an expedited timeline” for use in the military operation in Ukraine.

In November, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian downplayed media speculation over Tehran’s purported backing for Russia in the conflict, saying that Tehran had given Moscow a small number of drones months prior to the Ukraine war.

Russia launched war against Ukraine in July 2022. Russia said the attack is intended to “de-Nazify” the former Soviet Republic. 

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