The United Kingdom imposed new sanctions on Iranian individuals and businesses involved in supplying kamikaze drones to Russia, which were used to hit Ukraine.
Russia is using the drones "to attack both civilian targets and critical infrastructure in Kyiv and across Ukraine, with the intention of cutting off Ukrainian people from energy, heating, and water," a statement from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said.
The statement further said Iran was "actively warmongering, profiting off Russia's abhorrent attacks on Ukrainian citizens, and adding to the suffering of the people and the destruction of critical infrastructure" by supplying those drones.
"Both Russia and Iran are violating a U.N. Security Council Resolution that controls the transfer of these weapons from Iran," it read.
"Iran's support for Putin's brutal and illegal war against Ukraine is deplorable," Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said.
"Today we are sanctioning those who have supplied the drones used by Russia to target Ukrainian civilians. This is clear evidence of Iran's destabilizing role in global security," he added.
"These cowardly drone strikes are an act of desperation. By enabling these strikes, these individuals and a manufacturer have caused the people of Ukraine untold suffering. We will ensure that they are held to account for their actions," he concluded.
Meanwhile, White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday that Russian military personnel based in Crimea have been piloting Iranian drones to attack Ukraine, adding that Washington was looking at imposing new sanctions on Tehran.
Kirby added that the Biden administration would look for ways to make it harder for Tehran to sell such weapons to Russia, adding that it was no longer focused on diplomacy and nuclear talks with Iran at this point.
