Russia To Buy More Drones From Iran – Ukranian MP

In response to a question about earlier remarks by the country’s foreign ministry spokesman, who had expressed Iran’s readiness for prisoner swaps as part of the agreement to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, he did not rule out such a possibility. 

“We have a duty to follow up on the problems of our citizens anywhere in the world and support them, but relations between countries can be very effective in this field. The level of relationships and the quality of relationships are effective in this field,” he said.

He noted that such exchanges work much more easily with Islamic countries and neighboring countries, especially with countries with whom Tehran has agreements in this regard, but “these relations and contracts do not exist with a country like the United States, and things must be done diplomatically.”

Earlier in the month, foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Iran is ready for swift agreements for prisoner swaps with the US, regardless of the result of talks to restore the JCPOA.

A few days earlier, the spokesman for the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Relations Committee Mahmoud Abbaszadeh Meshkini said, "I don't know specifically whether there is going to be an exchange of prisoners between Iran and the United States, but in international relations this is customary and it is not unusual for some prisoners to be exchanged between the two countries.”

Fars news website affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard claimed that “some European leaders” asked Tehran to mediate with Moscow to contain the Ukraine conflict and explore ways for peace talks and an end to hostilities.

Later, ISNA news in Tehran claimed that the European leader was French President Emmanuel Macron, who asked President Ebrahim Raisi of mediating with Russia.

So far, there has been no indication from European leaders or European Union officials about asking Iran to play a mediating role in the Ukraine war.

The United States has repeatedly accused Iran of supplying military drones to Russia for deployment in Ukraine. A US official said August 29 that drones already delivered to Russia have been faulty.

Mohammad Jamshidi, a political aide to President Ebrahim Raisi has tweeted, A senior Western European leader had asked Ayatollah Raisi to help Europe by mediating in the war. After a series of consultations, a peace initiative, together with an important message, was sent to Moscow through Mr. Amir-Abdollahian.”

In addition to Iranian drones reportedly sent to Russia, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei praised Russian president Vladimir Putin’s “initiative” in attacking Ukraine, during the Russian ruler’s visit to Tehran on July 19.

Although the Iranian foreign ministry has professed the country’s neutrality in the war, Iranian officials and government media have been voicing support for Russia and implicit satisfaction that Europe is facing an energy crisis.

While Iran might be presenting its foreign minister’s visit to Moscow that began Tuesday evening as focusing on the Ukraine war, Iran and the West are in the midst of a critical stage in their nuclear negotiations to revive the 2015 agreement known as the JCPOA. It is likely that Amir-Abdollahian’s visit is mainly about the nuclear issue, but Tehran wants to claim an important role in world diplomacy.

Before the visit, Russia’s foreign ministry said that cooperation between the two countries will continue despite West’s adversarial actions.

There has been concern in the West about expanding ties between the two sanctioned powers and Iran’s possible military assistance to Russia. Tehran has never directly denied accusations of supplying drones to Russia, responding to question by saying that the two countries have had a long history of military cooperation.

Iran and Russia have been close allies in the Syrian war for years, where Tehran supplied the ground troops and Moscow the air power to largely defeat opponents of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad.

The two sides are also discussing more economic cooperation as critics of the nuclear talks in the West say that a new deal and lifting of sanction imposed on Iran, will offer an opportunity to Russia to use that country as a channel to circumvent its own sanctions.

On the sidelines of a ceremony for a national project to export liquefied gas via sea on Tuesday, the head of National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC), Jalil Salari, said that the quota of 250 liters was "a very high number" considering that fact that most Iranians do not consume that much petrol per month. 

All Iranians who own a car have a 60-liter quota of gasoline at the heavily subsidized rate of about five US cents a liter, but were also allowed to buy 250 liters more at about 10 cents, which is again heavily subsidized, at about 37 cents a US gallon. 

According to Jalili the new quota system will be implemented throughout the country soon. 

Some people in social media have described the move as a prelude by the administration of Ebrahim Raisi to increase the price of gasoline, despite repeated announcements by the government that the price of gasoline would not increase in the current Iranian year, which started on March 21. Such a plan had been earlier piloted in Sistan and Baluchistan province, leading to a whopping rise of gasoline prices to about 150,000 rials – or about 50 cent a liter – in the black market. 

According to a statement by US Naval Forces Central Command on Tuesday, the 5th Fleet observed an IRGC support ship, named Shahid Baziar, towing a Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel (USV) in an attempt to detain it while transiting international waters on Monday night local time, August 29.

The Navy patrol coastal ship USS Thunderbolt (PC 12), which was operating nearby, immediately responded and an MH-60S Sea Hawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 26 -- based in Bahrain was also launched, prompting the IRGC vessel to disconnect the towing line to the USV and depart the area approximately four hours later. The US Navy resumed operations without further incident, the statement added.

Describing the actions by the IRGC Navy as “flagrant, unwarranted and inconsistent with the behavior of a professional maritime force,” the commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, the 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper said, “US naval forces remain vigilant and will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows while promoting rules-based international order throughout the region.”

The statement said the Saildrone Explorer USV that the IRGC attempted to steal is a US government property and equipped with sensors, radars and cameras for navigation and data collection, the statement said, noting that this technology does not store sensitive or classified information.

Iran, which had closed its border and halted flights to its neighboring country, announced on Tuesday afternoon that Mehran, Qasr-e Shirin and Chazabeh land border crossings have been reopened, but urged citizens to remain cautious amid a fragile calm.

Clashes continued until Tuesday noon between the Sadrist forces with Iran-backed militia groups in major cities as well as near the Green Zone in central Baghdad -- home to embassies and government buildings -- before the cleric asked his supporters to stop the protests.

"I still believe that my supporters are disciplined and obedient. And if in the next 60 minutes they do not withdraw, as well as from parliament, then I will abandon these supporters," he said. Following the announcement, supporters began leaving central Baghdad on vehicles, holding rifles and chanting while driving away.

He apologized to the Iraqi people and said shedding the blood of an Iraqi is Haram (forbidden), noting that “I expected the protests to remain peaceful, but I don't want even peaceful protests any more... Had we dissolved armed groups, we wouldn't be witnessing the current situation.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi praised Muqtada al-Sadr over his call for cessation of conflicts, and urged immediate dialogue among political groups.

The unrest initially broke out on Monday, August 29, hours after Sadr announced he was quitting politics.