Ukraine’s Ambassador Calls On Iran To Send Oil
Ukraine’s ambassador to Tehran has attacked the Iranian government over its stance on the Russian invasion and challenged it to send oil to Ukraine.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Tehran has attacked the Iranian government over its stance on the Russian invasion and challenged it to send oil to Ukraine.
“My analysis is that Russia has failed, both tactically and operationally, and also strategically,” Serhii Burdyliak told Asia newspaper in an interview published Saturday. The ambassador claimed all European countries were supporting Ukraine because should it fail, no European country would be safe from Russian invasion.
Burdyliak argued that current sanctions by the United States and the European Union counties would be tightened. He claimed Germany had announced it was ready to cut off oil, gas, and coal imports from Russia – whereas in fact Germany, while saying it was ready to consider an oil embargo, is still importing gas.
The ambassador also claimed, “the majority of Iranian people support Ukraine,” while the government was “standing by Russia now.” Burdyliak argued that the prospect of cutting off Russian energy exports to Europe would bring the US and western Europe closer to reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, presumably to gain access to Iranian oil or gas.
Burdyliak warned Iran to think of its longer-term interests. “If for example, we assume that next year there will be problems in relations with Russia, and if the Iranian government continues its position of not supporting Ukraine, and next year Iran wants to get food from Ukraine, Ukraine would ask, ‘Where have you been so far? Where were you a year ago when we needed your humanitarian aid?’”
Oil tankers at Qeshm island
Tehran has defended Ukrainian sovereignty while pointing out that the expansion of Nato to 13 eastern European countries since 1999 was seen as a security threat by Moscow. Along with Armenia, China, India, and Iraq, Iran abstained in the March vote at the United Nations General Assembly condemning Russian military intervention.
Burdyliak suggested Iran should send oil to Ukraine, presumably once the US lifted ‘maximum pressure’ sanctions currently threatening punitive action against anyone taking Iranian crude.
“I was on the [Iranian] island of Qeshm, and there I saw oil tankers waiting for customers,” he said. “I thought, what if you were sending some of these tankers through Poland and Romania to help Ukraine?”…In such a case, you would be proud to have helped a war-torn country”.
There has been a lively discussion in the Iranian media over the war in Ukraine, with most principlist and state media, including state broadcaster IRIB, blaming Nato’s role and accusing the US of abandoning Ukraine after allegedly encouraging them to defy Moscow.
Iran last year imported record amounts of wheat it is vulnerable like some populous Middle Eastern countries to rising commodity prices. Egypt takes over 70 percent of its wheat from Russian and Ukraine.
Middle Eastern countries, including Israel, have also worked to maintain links with Moscow. Oil producers led by Saudi Arabia, which has a good relationship with Russia, have refused US requests to increase crude exports
In a tweet Thursday, the embassy wrote that Iran and its islands in the Persian Gulf were “safe for all including Britons and World Cup fans from around the world to enjoy the beauties of this land,” and that “Iranian civilizational and historical identity cannot be distorted by Times.”
In an article Wednesday headlined "No Room in Qatar? Enjoy the World Cup From An Iranian Island," the Times scoffed at Iran’s readiness to host soccer fans and its considering waiving visa requirements for Kish and other islands.
"Alcohol is banned, British nationals are regularly picked up on spurious charges of spying and only two weeks ago female football fans were pepper-sprayed for having the cheek to attend an international match,” the Times wrote. In Qatar itself, strict laws banning alcohol consumption may be waived during the World Cup for foreigners in hotels if not in stadiums.
Despite an expectation of one million visitors in Doha for the tournament in November and December, booking for hotels has not yet begun. Fans from around the world are looking at options including rooms on a cruise ship at $4,000 a week, private accommodation, and luxury camping in the desert.
On Sunday, Rostam Ghasemi, Iran's transport minister, met with his Qatari counterpart, Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, on Kish Island to discuss Iran’s involvement, following up suggestions made by President Ebrahim Raisi during a visit to Doha in February.
"Kish is the focal location for these arrangements, although other coastal and non-coastal provinces in Hormozgan and Bushehr close to the Persian Gulf can play a supporting role,” Ghasemi said.
Daily flights
Mohammad Mohammadi, head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation, said the current 72 daily Iran-Qatar flights could be boosted to 100 during the World Cup.
Iran’s tourist sector, which includes religious and medical tourism, has struggled in recent years in the face of both United States sanctions and the Covid-19 pandemic. The sector is keen for a boost from the World Cup and is touting the value on offer in Iran given the rial’s decline on foreign exchange markets. Despite Iran’s ban on alcohol and gender-segregated beaches, it was attracting around 5 million tourists annually before US ‘maximum pressure’ sanctions.
The Times, arguing that easing visa requirement for British and American citizens would not remove a tense political climate between Iran and the west, highlighted cases of dual nationals being arrested in Iran, including the daughter of one protesting this week in London outside the Foreign Office. Tehran and London both denied any connection between Iran recently freeing two British-Iranian dual nationals it had held for years on espionage charges and Britain finally paying a four-decades-old debt of £400 million ($530 million). But the connection between the money and hostages was clear to all for a long time and the exchange happened last month simultaneously.
Some Americans may also remember that Kish Island is where Central Intelligence Agency contractor Robert Levinson disappeared 16 years ago. The Trump administration said Iranian intelligence Iranian was responsible for his capture and probable death.