In the name of God, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful

No. 1630433                                                                                                    12 June 2023

Excellency,

            Upon instructions from my Government, and with reference to the letter dated 9 June 2023 from the Permanent Representatives of Ukraine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council (S/2023/418), I strongly reject the baseless accusation by Ukraine that Iran transfers unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for use in the war in Ukraine. As a follow-up to our letters of 24 May and 2 June 2023 (S/2023/376-S/2023/404), I find it necessary to restate once more Iran's unequivocal and consistent position:

It is regrettable that Ukraine, at the behest of certain Western countries and the Israeli regime, continues to pursue a political agenda against Iran by making false claims that Iran is contributing to the conflict in Ukraine. Iran’s impartial position on the conflict in Ukraine, as well as its principled opposition to war and destruction anywhere, remains unchanged. Iran strongly believes that the principles of international humanitarian law must be strictly observed anywhere and under any circumstances.

Iran has frequently offered Ukraine bilateral expert meetings to examine Ukraine’s claim and its alleged evidence. With the exception of the preliminary meeting, Ukraine has refused to engage in such a proposal. Iran once again expresses its readiness to hold a bilateral meeting with Ukraine, as appropriate.

The unscrupulous attempt to establish an erroneous link between the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the conflict in Ukraine and the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015) is misleading and entirely unfounded.

The so-called evidence in the letter and its associated fraudulent charges are clearly flawed and lack credibility. Given the UK and US's same unfounded allegations against Iran, the alleged reports and evaluations done by so-called independent organizations, such as the Conflict Armament Research (CAR) and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), lack credibility. These two countries and their related entities have clearly chosen sides with Ukraine in this war.

The claim regarding paragraph 4 of Annex B of Resolution 2231 lacks legal justification and is merely an incorrect and misleading interpretation of the letter and spirit of that paragraph. On numerous communications, including letters dated 7 January, 7 July, 19 and 24 October, 6 and 7 December 2022, and 24 May and 2 June 2023 (S/2022/15, S/2022/544, S/2022/776, S/2022/794, S/2022/915, S/2022/923, S/2023/376 and S/2023/404),  Iran has consistently rejected the erroneous and misleading interpretations of Resolution 2231 and its annex B by certain Western states that seek to advance their own political agendas.

The recurrent and unwarranted call for the Secretariat to investigate the alleged violation of Resolution 2231 lacks a legal basis. Neither Resolution 2231 nor the relevant Note by the President of the Security Council (S/2016/44) authorizes such an unlawful mandate. In this regard, Iran has already objected to such an illicit request and has warned the Secretariat against both violating its mandate and the detrimental consequences of abusing Resolution 2231 to further the political agendas of certain Member States (S/2022/776, S/2022/794, S/2022/915, S/2023/376-S/2023/404). We reiterate our call to the Secretariat of the United Nations to diligently fulfill its mandate, as outlined in the Note by the President of the Security Council (S/2016/44). It is also imperative that the Secretariat upholds the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and resists succumbing to the influence exerted by certain States acting in bad faith. The Secretariat must refrain from legitimizing baseless and politically motivated claims lacking proper substantiation. Any finding or conclusion by the Secretariat derived from unauthorized and unlawful activity shall be deemed null and void.

I also categorically reject the baseless allegations made against my Country by the US authorities, including the recent statement by the Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations on 9 June 2023 over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Iran has consistently upheld its commitments to international law and maintains a clear and consistent position on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

            I would be grateful if you would circulate the present letter as a document of the Security Council.

            Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres

Secretary-General

United Nations, New York

H.E. Ms. Lana Zaki Nusseibeh

President of the Security Council

United Nations, New York