Spokesman Refutes CIA’s Claims on Iran-Russia Interaction

In a statement on Sunday, Nasser Kanaani rejected as baseless the claims made by the US spy agency’s chief about Iran’s cooperation with Russia and his accusations against the Islamic Republic regarding the Ukraine war.

Kanaani noted that such allegations are part of the US propaganda campaign against Iran.

He said the US officials question conventional defensive and military ties between Iran and Russia as they continue their unfounded claims and illegal actions against the Islamic Republic, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.

The spokesman added that the propaganda campaign of the US that is based on lies and deception pursues different goals including pressuring the Islamic Republic, fomenting Iranophobia and covering up Washington’s warmongering policies.

Kanaani reiterated that as Iran has stated multiple times, the Iran-Russia cooperation in different fields such as their joint defensive work, is expanding in line with the mutual interests of Tehran and Moscow and the rights and international commitments of the two nations, adding that such cooperation poses no threat to any third party.

He underscored that Iran acts independently when it forges its foreign relations and does this in line with its national interests while respecting international rules and laws.

Kanaani stressed that Iran will not ask for permission from anyone for its foreign relations.

The spokesman made the remark after CIA Director William Burns said Washington was concerned the growing cooperation between Russia and Iran would become a “full-fledged defense partnership” between the two sides.

The CIA director also claimed that the nascent defense partnership between Tehran and Moscow has affected the battlefield in Ukraine.