US Says Iranian Drones Breach Sanctions

On Oct. 17, so-called “kamikaze” drones believed to be Iranian-made but released by Russia struck Kyiv.

According to the U.S. State Department, the U.S. concurs with the French and British that the drones are a violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.

This resolution, which is connected to the nuclear deal with Iran, prohibits Iran from transferring specific military technologies.

The drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have been identified by Ukraine as Iranian Shahed-136 weapons. After the Japanese fighter pilots who carried out suicide missions during World War Two, they are known as kamikaze drones.

“It is our belief that these UAVs that were transferred from Iran to Russia and used by Russia in Ukraine are among the weapons that would remain embargoed under Resolution 2231,” said State Department official Vedant Patel.

Russia claims Iran did not provide them, but Mr. Patel claimed the U.S. “exposed publicly that Russia has received drones from Iran, that this was part of Russia’s plan to import hundreds of Iranian UAVs of various types.”

There was “extensive proof,” he continued, that Russia had used them in Ukraine.

According to the Kyiv government, hundreds of towns and villages in Ukraine’s Kyiv, Dnipro, and Sumy regions experienced power outages on Monday, affecting critical infrastructure.

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Russia has accelerated its advance across eastern Ukraine in recent months, looking to secure as much territory as possible before US President-elect Donald Trump comes to power in January.

In Kyiv and Sumy, there were four fatalities each, for a total of eight deaths. In a statement, the U.S. promised to “hold [Russia] accountable for its war crimes.”

According to Mr. Patel, the growing alliance between Russia and Iran should be viewed as a threat by everyone in the world. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has received significant military assistance from Russia and Iran during the Syrian civil war.

“Anyone doing business with Iran, that can 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. The U.S. will not hesitate to use sanctions,” Patel forewarned.

The assault on Monday came a week after Russia launched dozens of missiles, many of which were aimed at energy infrastructure, at Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. Western analysts think that despite a lack of precision missiles, Russia is able to continue its long-range attacks thanks to the Iranian weapon.

Josep Borrell, the head of the European Union’s foreign policy, claims that the EU is gathering evidence about Iranian drones and is prepared to act, suggesting that sanctions may be strengthened.

Talks to restart the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran are currently at a standstill. In exchange for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions, Iran agreed to restrict its nuclear activities and welcome outside inspectors under the terms of the agreement with Western powers.